I'm ready to learn
by Awesam
Summary: AU. Bechloe. Beca is a failing guardian for her 10 year old brother who can't seem to stay in school. Can Chloe, the music teacher at the exclusive Barden Elementary, be the one person to fix this broken family? Trigger Warnings on some chapters.
1. Welcome to Barden

**A/N: Welcome! This is another AU story that I came up with. For those that read This is my Fight Song, this isn't a sequel or in the same universe, it is stand alone. Thanks for checking it out! I hope to keep up with my daily updates but life happens to don't hate me if I miss a day here or there. Read on! We have Beca, Chloe, Stacie and Benji in this chapter (as well as original character: Tyler) but more will be added including (but not limited to) Jesse , Stacie and Luke.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect, you can tell because they didn't get married in the second movie.**

* * *

Beca crashed heavily onto her couch, groaning as she pressed her face into the torn and disgustingly sticky cushions. She'd worked the early shift at the station and all she wanted right now was sleep before needing to go back in for her usual afternoon shift. It was a step up from the graveyard shift that she'd been working for years but the pay was still shit and it wasn't anywhere near prime time. Beca got the freedom to play her mixes and ramble on about whatever came into her mind so she didn't mind working her butt off for little reward. She was about to finally catch up on some rest when her ringing phone interrupted and pulled her back from the edge of slumber.

"What?" Beca groaned as she answered the phone without looking at the caller ID.

"Ms Mitchell?"

"Yeah?" she grumped.

"This is Mr Nickels, the principal at your brother's school," the formal man spoke briskly.

Beca sighed and sat up, already pulling her shoes and jacket back on and heading for the door. "Again?"

"I'm sorry Ms Mitchell. When can you get here?"

"I'm on the way. Give me twenty minutes."

"Thank you Ms Mitchell."

Beca punched the phone to end the call and slammed it once before thrusting it angrily into her pocket. "I'm gonna kill that kid," Beca growled as she left the apartment, locking the door behind her.

* * *

"Alright angels it looks like your teacher is here to collect you," Chloe said to the class as she glanced at Benji Applebaum in her doorway wearing his typical goofy grin. The kids began to grab their things and make their way to the door to line up. When they were in two straight lines Chloe spoke again. "Thank you for the perfect behaviour I have come to expect from my favourite class," Chloe smiled at her 5th grade students. "Now remember, before next time I want you each to ask your parents for a song that they really enjoy. We're going to share them around and talk about the meaning behind them. Bye angels, be good."

The class started walking evening out of the room. "Thanks Chloe. We still on for lunch? I have this really cool new magic trick I want to try out on you."

Chloe laughed at her friend. Benji could make every day at work hilarious. "Well Bree wants to see me now," Chloe said as she glanced at her watch, "But I'll do my best."

"Alright. See you later!" Benji walked at the back of his students as they walked back to his classroom.

Chloe grabbed her bag and made her way to the office.

* * *

"Why can't you just give him second chance?" Beca asked yet again.

"Ms Mitchell, this is already Tyler's third chance and considering his history at this school as well as his others… we just don't have any further chances for him. I'm sorry but Tyler is expelled."

"If you really were sorry then you wouldn't be doing this to him!" Beca yelled back. She'd been growing more and more fired up and needed to let it out. Tyler wasn't a bad kid, not to her or the people who really knew him, but ever since his parents, and Beca's mother and stepfather, had died in a car accident a year earlier he hadn't been able to stay in a school. This was the last public school in the area and Beca was all out of options for her ten year old brother.

"Ms Mitchell we're going to need to ask you to calm down," Mr Nickels said patiently.

"We?" Beca questioned, spreading her arms and gesturing around the room. "Who is we? There is me and there is you and there is the little kid who just lost his parents that you a booting from the school! This was his last chance! What am I 'supposed to do now?" Beca sagged with the realisation that she had failed Tyler. She hadn't wanted to be a guardian at 21 but it had happened and she was failing.

"We-I sympathise Ms Mitchell but my hands are tied. Tyler broke school property and has shown no remorse for this action or any of his others. Have you considered home schooling?"

Beca dropped her head into her hands and shook her head. "I need to work and I can't leave the kid home alone or afford a tutor or babysitter or whatever. Besides I'm not exactly a stellar example of a scholar. He needs someone who actually knows basic maths and English. All I know is music."

"Music you say?"

Beca frowned at the spark on an idea that seemed to form in the stuffy man's eyes. "Yeah. I do mixes and jockey for the Atlanta Independent Radio Station, Atl-waves."

Mr Nickels looked through a bulging file that must have belonged to Tyler. He nodded when he found whatever it was he was looking for. "It seems Tyler shares your musical affinity."

"Yeah. His parents were musicians." Her mother had met her stepfather through music and her house had always been filled with the sweetest sounds. Her mother was a singer and her stepfather played every instrument he could find. Tyler had been in drum lessons since he was a kid but had lost all interest after they had died. Beca had always meant to push it on him but time had slipped away and before she knew it the drums were covered with packed away and covered with dust.

"Have you considered Barden Elementary?" Mr Nickels asked.

Beca frowned. "Isn't that the arts place that just started up? I don't know much about it."

"Yes this is its second year but I have heard nothing but positive results. They are working to combine a full arts education with the usual core subjects. They have a good reputation so far with behaviour and reformation," Mr Nickels explained.

"Sounds expensive."

Mr Nickels nodded and sighed. "There is a cost involved but I still believe it is your best option. They do have scholarships available for various reasons, such as musical ability. In fact, the head of the musical department is extremely capable. I offered her a position here when she graduated but she decided to start at Barden."

Beca raised a brow. "She just graduated and she's already head of the department?"

"I believe so. If you are interested I can give them a call right now and see if I can get you an appointment. What do you think?"

Beca chewed her lip and considered her options. Her mother and stepfather had left a decent amount of money but Beca had refused to touch it, wanting instead to use it for Tyler if he decided to go to college or buy a house or whatever he wanted… but he would never even get out of fifth grade if she didn't do something about it now. Maybe Barden would be the answer. "Yeah alright."

Mr Nickels smiled and quickly dialled the number from a card in his desk drawer.

* * *

"Hey Bree," Chloe smiled as she knocked on the open door to her best friend's office. Aubrey was a few years older than her but they had met during Chloe's freshman year and Aubrey's senior year of college and been close ever since due to their belief that art had a vital role in education.

"Hey Chlo, come on in." Aubrey greeted as she put aside the files she had been reading. Aubrey, ever the go-getter, had approached a local politician as soon as she graduated and convinced him to find funding and location for this new school. Of course her father had invested, as had others, and soon it was built and Aubrey was taking over as principal. Chloe had been her first hire fresh from college and it had been her best decision. "How's your day been?" Aubrey asked as Chloe closed the door behind her and took a seat at Aubrey's large and intimidating desk.

"Great actually. I just had my darling year five class. I adore them. I'm so jealous of the time Benji gets to share with them," Chloe pouted.

Aubrey chuckled lightly at her friend's comments. "Well I know how grateful he is to you for that." Aubrey had been pushed-mostly by her father-to make a visible improvement in the first year the school had opened. All the grades were small, having one class per year level but the year five-previously year 4-class had co-incidentally filled with a large amount of students with behavioural difficulties. They had been so challenging at first that their class teacher had actually quit within the month. Chloe has voluntarily stepped in and that class had posted records for the highest improvements in just a few short months. It hadn't been easy but Chloe had been unrelenting. Aubrey had offered her friend to continue with the class but Chloe had instead asked to return to her original role as music teacher for the entire school. She still occasionally worked one-on-one with new students that teachers found too troubling but music was her main focus.

Chloe waved off Aubrey's compliment, as she usually did with praise. "They have their music performance coming up soon. I hope you'll be there."

"I'll see," Aubrey hedged, knowing that she most likely wouldn't be there.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I don't understand you sometimes. You love music and this is literally your dream in reality. Besides, the more you start attending performances, the less scary they may find you."

"Friendliness is you shtick Chloe, fear is mine. I-" Whatever Aubrey was about to say was cut off as her phone began to ring. She held up a finger to Chloe and answered it.

"Yes Jessica?" she greeted the receptionist. "Oh Anthony from Brandon? Yes you can out him through." Aubrey covered the mouthpiece of her phone for a moment. "Is he trying to potch you again?" Aubrey asked.

Chloe just shrugged in response.

"Hello Anthony, it's Aubrey Posen, what can I do for you?" Aubrey greeted in a formal tone.

"Hell Aubrey, nice to speak to you again. I'm calling about a potential student actually. Do you have any space?" Mr Nickels asked.

"What grade?" Aubrey questioned as she logged into her computer to check. It was still early in the school year but after the success of the first year Barden was almost at capacity until they opened to two classes per grade.

"Five."

Aubrey's eyes darted to Chloe for a moment and she decided it would be easier to just ask the redhead than look it up. "Chloe is there any space in fifth?"

Chloe sat up in her chair and beamed, nodding her head happily.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Calm down, we don't even know who this is."

Mr Nickels smiled as he heard the conversation. He knew Chloe fairly well and was glad that she seemed eager to get a new student. It boded well for Tyler. "Is that Chloe with you now?"

"Yes it is and no you can't have her," Aubrey said.

"Hi Anthony!" Chloe yelled and Aubrey rolled her eyes and put her phone on loudspeaker so Chloe could be included. Year five was her domain anyway.

"Good to speak to you again Chloe," Mr Nickels responded. "So you have room for one more?"

"We do," Chloe answered, "But that class is my pet project so you better be offering us some brilliant musician."

Aubrey just rolled her eyes again.

"Actually, funny you should mention that. Tyler has been taking drum lessons since he was a child. Both of his parents were musicians and his sister-the guardian-works for the local radio station."

Aubrey could tell Chloe's brain was racing with enthusiasm and plans of what to do with the expert drummer she'd just fictionalised in her mind.

"And why is it that you're sending him here?" Aubrey asked, knowing that there was something he was hiding.

Mr Nickels sighed and looked at Beca's face. She was listening attentively but trying to hide it. "Tyler has had some behavioural problems."

"That's fine-" Chloe began but Aubrey held up a hand to stop her.

"Explain."

"Brandon was his 9th school in the last year. He barely scrapped through year 4 and there are very definite gaps in his learning," he spoke honestly.

Aubrey rubbed the bridge of her nose. "Listen Anthony, normally we would take him but it's only our second year and people are looking really closely at our results."

Mr Nickels sighed. "It's OK, I understand. I'll let her know." He saw Bec'a face drop and he felt guilty that he had offered her this olive branch and then withdrawn it.

"No Aubrey, wait," Chloe interrupted.

Mr Nickels could see Beca standing to leave so-knowing it was probably unprofessional-put the phone on speaker so Beca could at least know the conversation being had about her brother and know that there were people in the world, like Chloe, who would fight for him even if she didn't always win. He was sure that at least hearing the argument he was sure Chloe was about to put forward would give her some hope. Beca glanced at him and retook her seat, understanding that she needed to remain silent.

"You always told me that facts and figures meant nothing," Chloe argued.

Aubrey sighed. "That was before I had an entire school to run Chloe."

"I don't believe that being a principal for one year has changed your entire belief system."

"Chloe-"

"Aubrey. When we met you asked me a question, do you remember what it was?"

"I asked you why you wanted to be a teacher."

"And I told you that it was because in a class of 30 I wanted to be able to help every single one of them. I told you that they were figures and statistics to me, they were tiny humans who needed someone to teach to their morals in tandem with core skills. And what did you say to me?"

"I told you that it was people like you who would change the future of America."

"You did. So ignore the voice in your head that belongs to your father and listen to your own. Nine schools in one year Bree… that kid must be hurting. Let me have him, please."

Aubrey scrubbed her face with her hand. "I'm going to regret this," she muttered into her hand. "OK Anthony, let's set up an interview."

Mr Nickels looked at the woman before him. She had watched as Chloe's words had somehow filled her with a life that had been missing from her eyes since they met. It looked like she finally had hope again. "Thank you Aubrey… and Chloe… And one more thing, do you have any available scholarships?"

Aubrey groaned and hit her head on the table.

"We'll talk about that in the interview," Chloe spoke instead. "Can he make it today? And did you say his sister was his guardian?"

"Yes, Beca Mitchell," Mr Nickels answered. "Ms Mitchell are you available today?" he asked forgetting the phone was on speaker.

"Umm yeah. I need to be at the station by four though."

Aubrey glared at the phone when she heard the voice but Chloe just smiled, understanding why Anthony had done that. "No problems Ms Mitchell. It's our lunch so if you can come over now we should be able to release you in plenty of time to go to work."

"Erm… thanks."

"See you soon," Chloe beamed as she leant over Aubrey's desk and hung up the phone.

Aubrey turned her glare on her best friend. "You're very annoying and unprofessional."

"Fire me," Chloe shrugged, not really taking her friend's words to heart. "I need to go watch Benji's newest magic trick but I'll try my best to be back before she gets him. If I'm not… just try to be nice?"

"No promises. And remind Benji that even though this is an arts school it is still a place of work."

"Not gonna do that," Chloe said as she left the office.

* * *

Beca pulled up outside of the large new school, her car rattling dangerous as it stopped. She probably had a few days before it decided to give out and she'd need to start taking the bus again. Beca turned to look at a sulking Tyler in the passenger seat. She grabbed the collar of his shirt and turned him to face her. "You need to listen to my Ty. THIS is your very last chance. If you blow this then I have no choice but to send you to live with Gram and Pop."

"But Bec-"

"I don't want to hear it kid. This is the last school in the area. I honestly don't know how I went so wrong with you. You aren't a bad kid but you keep doing stupid things. Can you please give this school a chance, for me? I don't want to lose you buddy, you're all I have left."

Tyler swallowed and nodded. "I'll try my best."

"Thanks Ty."

Beca and Tyler got out of the old car and made their way into the intimidating school.

* * *

"That was really good Benji!" Chloe cheered and clapped as her friend took a bow. "For curiosities sake though, how long has that rabbit been in your hat?"

"A couple of days," Benji responded absently as he stroked his new animal.

Chloe grimaced.

"Oh! I have another one!" Benji realised. He started pulling out his stuff and Chloe settled into her chair, knowing she'd probably be stuck here for a while.

* * *

"Umm… we're here for a meeting," Beca said to the way-to-cheerful bouncing receptionist.

"Sure!" she responded in a voice that made Tyler and Beca cringe. "Who were you meant to see?"

Beca scratched her neck and shrugged. "I can't remember her name. It's about getting the kid into this school," Beca said, pointing at her brother. She had only remembered one name from that meeting but it had been the name of the woman who had fought for Tyler to get a chance and not the bitchy blonde who was more concerned with appearances.

"That must be Ms Posen, the principal. I'll just give her a call." The receptionist pressed a button and the same voice from the phone call sounded.

"Yes Jessica?"

"I have a…"

"Ms Mitchell," Beca supplied.

"Ms Mitchell here for a meeting about her son."

"Brother," Beca and Tyler said at the same time.

"My mistake. Brother."

"Send her in."

Jessica led the pair to Aubrey's office, ignoring the twin glares Tyler and Beca were sending her way. "Here you are."

Beca and Tyler walked into the formal office. There were ceiling to floor bookshelves along all of the walls that contained books about teaching with humanities, child psychology and behaviour management. The desk was tall and a dark oak that matched all the furniture in the room. The desk chair was tall compared to the two couches in front of the desk so that when Beca and Tyler sat down the principal was staring down at them. It was intimidating.

"Ms Mitchell," Aubrey greeted, standing slightly to shake Beca's hand. "Tyler." Aubrey shook his hand too and Tyler glanced at Beca and rolled his eyes. "My name is Aubrey Posen. I am the principal here at Barden Elementary."

"Cool," Beca said. She needed to impress this woman just as much as Tyler did. "Umm… I have Tyler's file for you," Beca said as she placed the folder on the desk.

Aubrey raised as brow as she lifted it. "It's quite thick, isn't it," she commented, eyeing Tyler.

Beca glanced around the room again. She'd expected the other woman, the nice one, from the phone call to be here and wasn't exactly eager to face this woman head-on.

"Is everything alright Ms Mitchell?" Aubrey questioned when she saw the brunette glancing around.

"Umm… yeah… is it just gonna be us?" She asked awkwardly.

Aubrey squinted as she observed the young woman. "Are you referring to the other woman that you heard on the phone when Mr Nickels decided, unprofessionally, to put his phone on speaker?"

"Yes?"

"Was that a question or a statement?"

"Both?"

Aubrey sighed and pressed the intercom speaker on her phone. "Chloe Beale to my office, Chloe Beale to my office," She spoke.

Beca could hear it echoing outside of the room and she felt a slight relief that there would be someone to witness it if the blonde decided to kill them.

Aubrey opened the file and began to peruse it while Beca and Tyler sat in an awkward silence. Within minutes the door opened and a ball of energy burst through it.

"Sorry Bree. Benji had a rabbit and…" Chloe trailed off when three pairs of eyes, not two, turned to look at her. "Oh, hey, I'm Chloe Beale," Chloe smiled as she quickly closed the door and moved further into the office. She glanced around for a moment before deciding to perch herself on the edge of Aubrey's desk. She looked at Beca expectantly and it took Beca a moment to realise she needed to introduce herself again.

"I'm Beca Mitchell. This is Tyler, my little brother."

Chloe beamed in response and focused her eyes on Tyler. "It's nice to meet you Tyler. You can call me Miss Beale. I'm the music teacher here at Barden so we'll probably be spending a lot of time together."

Beca frowned when Tyler slumped in his chair and refused to look at the redhead. "I hate music so I doubt it."

Chloe tilted her head and scanned his posture for a moment. "I also work with all the new students to help them get settled," she said, not wanting to actually say that she worked with the problem students.

"Whatever."

"Tyler," Beca warned but it didn't seem to make a difference.

Chloe glanced at Aubrey, who was watching with a raised brow, before trying again. If Tyler didn't give her something here then Aubrey would never let him in to the school. "I actually was the class teacher for the current year 5 group last year. They are a great group. We are working on a musical concert actually."

"Bully for you."

Aubrey's face twitched, an obvious sign that she was about to end the meeting. Beca chewed her lip nervously. She honestly had no clue why Tyler would just go from sweet to a menace. Chloe decided to make one last attempt at getting something out of this kid.

"You know what, Barden is a really good school and it's really hard to get in. Maybe you're just not meant for us."

Beca's eyes snapped to the redhead. Hadn't this been the woman so determined to help Tyler out? How had she given up so easily? Aubrey understood what Chloe was doing and just waited to see what would happen.

"I could get in if I wanted," Tyler argued, lifting his head and glaring at Chloe.

Chloe made sure to keep her face neutral even though she wanted to smile at the victory. "I'm not sure… I mean you don't even like music and that's pretty important here."

"I bet I play drums better than anyone else this lame school has," Tyler fired back.

"I don't know. Maybe you need to show me?"

"Fine. I will."

"Fine. Follow me." Chloe stood and walked out of the room, knowing Tyler would follow and hoping Beca and Aubrey would as well. Beca was shocked. Tyler hadn't even considered touching drums in over a year and this was the most he had ever communicated with a teacher, even though it was all in anger.

Chloe led them in to her large and comfy looking music room. She pointed to the full drum kit in the corner. "Show me." She picked up the drumsticks from her desk and held them out to the boy.

Tyler grabbed them from her and stomped over to the drums. Chloe noticed that as he sat behind them he seemed at ease, it was obviously an instrument that he really did enjoy. Chloe picked up a notebook and pen from her desk and wrote a note about it. Tyler clapped the sticks together a few times before starting a simple kick beat. His eyes locked with Chloe's and she issued the silent challenge for him to show her everything he had. He did. It started simple with some repetitive hits as he warmed up but he soon turned it into an elaborate sound which Chloe quickly realised he was making up on the spot. She quickly scribbled some more notes. He was panting when he finally stopped five minutes after he had begun.

"How was that?" He asked. It was obvious that he had met it to sound angry but Chloe could read the underlining need for validation in his tone.

Chloe moved close to him and kneeled so that they were eye level. "Well Mr Drummer Boy it looks like you proved me wrong," Chloe said warmly. "You are the best drummer I've seen in this room. If you are willing to learn then I want to teach you how to use this," Chloe tapped Tyler's head, "And this," she tapped his heart, "To make this into something you can control." Chloe tapped a finger on a symbol and looked at Tyler softly as she waited for him to decide what he wanted.

"You'll be my teacher?"

"One of them."

Tyler shrugged, trying to act cool but Chloe could see his grin. "Yeah. OK."

"Good. Now how about we let your sister and my boss discuss the boring stuff and we go meet your new classmates."

He glanced at Beca for permission. At her shrug he nodded and walked beside Chloe out of the room.

Aubrey rolled her eyes and led Beca back to her office. Of course Chloe would just let this kid in without asking permission. Aubrey closed her door behind Beca and began to speak as she rounded her desk. "We are willing to offer Tyler a place in our school on a temporary basis, to be made permanent should he show improvement and a willingness to learn."

Beca stifled her smirk as the blonde tried to act like she had any say in the matter when she had just seen this school's music teacher offer her brother a spot. Somehow she actually felt hopeful after seeing how determined Chloe had been to get through to Tyler and how Tyler had actually let her in partway.

"Now," Aubrey continued as she once again glanced at Tyler's file, "I'm aware of the financial hardship and I am willing to extend an offer of a musical scholarship. It will cover all of Tyler's educational expenses but you will still need to pay for school uniforms and any other extra costs such as concerts or excursions. Barden has a very impressive food plan, which Tyler will be able to use to no expense. At Barden we pride ourselves on the healthy options and will be able to provide for any allergies or dietary restrictions he may have. Does this sound agreeable?"

Beca schooled her face and pinched her leg to keep her emotions down. She couldn't believe that this school was willing to take such a drastic chance on Tyler and let him go here for free. Beca didn't trust her voice so she just nodded.

"Very well. We'll get Tyler a uniform today and get you a contract to sign. Welcome to Barden Ms Mitchell."

* * *

 **A/N: Thanks for reading. Make sure to let me know what you think of this new AU world. As always, peace.**


	2. Sanctuary

**A/N: And on this day that it was announced that Brittany Snow is the third person to sign on for Pitch Perfect 3 and Bechloe is a step closer to becoming cannon I bring you the second chapter of I'm ready to learn. They're back pitches!**

 **Tom and Cynthia Rose in this chapter**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect.**

 **Trigger warning: Grief and a hint at domestic abuse...**

* * *

"Good morning Benji," Chloe greeted as she walked into the staffroom armed with two coffees.

"Madam," Benji grinned as he pulled a fake flower from his sleeve and handed it to the redhead.

"Thanks Ben," Chloe grinned as she accepted the flower and gave Benji a coffee. "Do you have a moment to talk?" Chloe asked as she glanced at the pile of work papers in front of her colleague.

Benji pushed his work to the side and nodded for Chloe to sit down across form him. "What do you need to talk about?"

"Tyler Mitchell."

"The new student?"

"Yes. I had a few thoughts about him that I wanted to share with you." Chloe pulled out his file and the notes she'd spent most of the night making about the boy.

"Wow. Did you get any sleep last night?" Benji asked.

Chloe laughed but decided not to answer the question. "Based on this file and his actions yesterday I think Tyler may have some anger management problems brought on by the frustration of being so far behind in school."

"Makes sense," Benji agreed easily. "Any ideas on how to help him?" This was Benji's first year teaching and although Chloe only had one year more than him he, along with the majority of the staff, would always turn to the friendly redhead for advice.

"I think the first step is making sure he knows that we are on his side and we're not just waiting for him to make a mistake so that we can expel him. He is going to need extensive one-on-one work so maybe we can organise for someone in SEP to work with him in or out of class, depending how he feels most comfortable," Chloe said as she glanced at her notes.

"SEP? Not you?" Chloe usually took it upon herself to use her free lessons helping new or struggling students instead of catching up on work. Benji wasn't entirely sure how she did it but she was definitely admired.

"I just don't think I have the amount of spare time that he will need," Chloe frowned. She'd spent hours staring at her timetable and trying to make the space but she just couldn't. "I'd need to do before and after school with him if I was working with him and I'm not sure that's an option with his sister."

"His sister?"

"Yes his sister is his guardian. His parents died in a car accident a little over a year ago. That's when he became struggling in school."

"Oh," Benji nodded.

"So for today maybe just see how he goes? Don't be lenient on him, he needs to know the correct behaviour, but maybe just watch how much work he is doing and how he is interacting with the other kids in the class?"

"Sounds good. What's your day like today?"

"It's my planning day so I'm jam packed with one-on-ones."

Benji laughed. "You do realise that planning days should be used to plan, right? I mean you get a planning day because you are head of the music department, how are you finding time to do this as well?"

Chloe took an exaggeration gulp of her coffee. "Caffeine is vital."

Benji laughed again. "So can I call you with any problems?"

"Of course. Although if it's too serious then follow procedure and call Aubrey."

"Will do. Thanks Chloe. Do I need to have a student meet him at the office when school starts?"

"No I can grab him. I should get going though. See you later Benji."

"Bye Chloe."

Chloe left the office with a smile, after making sure Jessica knew to ring her when Tyler arrived.

* * *

"Tyler! Hurry up!" Beca yelled as she quickly shoved some random things from the cupboard into Tyler's bag. He would have food at school but she wanted him to have something extra if he needed it. She noticed his pencil case was basically empty. He always seemed to be losing his things. She'd need to buy him some pencils today before her shift at work but hopefully he could borrow form someone for today. "Tyler! Now!" Beca yelled again. Her alarm had decided not to work today so they'd barely had time for a shower before they needed to go.

"I'm coming!" Tyler responded eventually as he walked into the lounge room/living room/ kitchen combined area. Beca struggled to even afford this two-bedroom apartment on her radio wages but she really wanted Tyler to have his own room. Tyler took his backpack from Beca and slid it onto his back.

Beca frowned at his clothes. "What are you wearing?"

"My uniform."

Beca pointed at the rolled sleeves, loose tie, untucked shirt and jeans. "This is barely your uniform. It's your first day Ty, I can't take you in like this."

Tyler shrugged and pointed at Beca's watch. "Too late. We need to go."

Beca groaned but knew he was right. She pushed him out of the door. "You are so grounded."

* * *

"Good morning Ms Mitchell," Jessica chirped as Beca and Tyler walked into the office.

Beca once again winced at the tone. "Umm hi. You remember me?"

"Of course! Hello Tyler," Jessica greeted, her smile annoyingly wide.

"Cool. So do I leave Tyler and go or…?"

"Actually Miss Beale would like to speak to you two before you leave. Can you wait a minute? I'll just give her a call," Jessica said as she lifted a phone to her ear.

"Yeah, sure," Beca shrugged. She glanced at her brother and saw that he had a genuine smile on his face for the first time all morning after hearing mention of the music teacher.

They didn't need to wait long before Chloe was rushing into the office, just as she had done the day before. Beca noted that her wide smile suited her and didn't grate her nerves like the receptionist's did.

"Good morning," she said quickly to Beca before kneeling to focus on Tyler.

Beca frowned when she felt disappointed that Chloe's attention was once again on her little brother. _Why shouldn't it be? She's his teacher. Why do you even care?_ Beca scolded herself.

"I'm liking the punk rocker look Tyler," Chloe commented as she pulled Tyler's knotted tie over his head and put it over her own, "But do you mind if I show you my favourite way to tie a tie?"

Chloe hadn't actually waited for his permission before acting but Tyler nodded anyway. Beca once again frowned at herself. Of course Tyler had dressed like that because he couldn't tie a tie. She had missed it. But Chloe had known straight away. Beca once again felt herself being overwhelmed with gratitude for the redheaded music teacher.

"This is called a half Windsor knot. It makes it seem formal and British but it's actually really simple," Chloe winked and Beca felt her heart jump. "So you move it so that there is one side really long and one side really sort. The long one crosses over like this and then loops, kind of like shoelaces. Then you slide it through the loop you just made, and pull. Tada!" Chloe cheered for herself when she pulled it. "Then you just adjust it like this. Wanna try?"

Tyler nodded and took the tie back from Chloe. He frowned as he concentrated and tried to copy Chloe's actions. It was messy but it was tied. He grinned at Chloe as she adjusted it to sit better against his neck.

"First try! That took me an entire month to perfect!" Chloe joked. "Now you come and see me when you want to try out the full Windsor. That thing is difficult." Chloe unrolled one of his sleeves and he did the other before tucking in his own shirt without Chloe saying anything. Chloe stood back up and glanced at Beca, as if she hadn't realised the brunette was still there. Beca mouthed 'thank you' and received a beaming smile that was blinding but she couldn't look away.

"Tyler, what do you say about getting you to class so you can meet the other kids? I'm pretty sure Mr Applebaum has a really cool history lesson on Egypt planned today. Spoiler alert: the cats are gods!" Chloe's eyes were wide with excitement, giving Tyler no other option but to start feeling excited himself.

Beca was once again shocked when Tyler grabbed Chloe's hand and started pulling her towards where he remembered his class being from the day before.

Chloe held him back for a moment though to talk to Beca. "Do you need to go to work or do you have time to chat before you rush off?"

Beca glanced at her watch. She really didn't have time with the amount of errands she needed to run. "Yeah I've got time."

"Great! Follow us."

Beca followed Tyler and Chloe awkwardly down the hallway and into a classroom. It was cluttered and filled with an eclectic mix of decorations, mostly Star Wars surprisingly and Beca wasn't sure how they added to teaching in grade five.

"Mr Applebaum," Chloe greeted. "I have someone for you."

"Hey Tyler!" Benji grinned. "Perfect timing."

Chloe turned to the class that had been doing silent reading but were now looking at the front of the room curiously. "Hey angels, pause reading and listen with what?"

"Our ears and eyes," the class chorused back.

"I want you to all meet Tyler Mitchell. He is going to be apart of this class now and I expect you to treat him like a member of this family," Chloe jokingly warned.

"Tyler you can sit next to me!" A student called from the middle of the room where there was a spare seat.

Tyler glanced at Chloe and she nodded so he made his way to the seat.

"Chris do you mind taking Tyler to the library later and showing him what books he needs?" Chloe asked the student that had spoken.

"Yes Miss Beale."

"Thumbs up," Chloe smiled as she raised her thumbs and Chris did the same. "Thanks angels. See you for dodge ball at lunch. We're gonna cream the sixth grade. Play reading." All the students dropped their heads down straight away to start reading and Chris leaned over to share his book with Tyler. "Thank Benji, remember to call if there's a problem."

Benji nodded and Chloe walked out of the room with an impressed Beca following her. Chloe lead Beca back to the room that she recognised as the music room. It was decorated the same as the day before with Broadway posters all over the walls and rows of every possible instrument hung to the walls. There were soundproof booths just outside of the room and a large pile of beanbags near Chloe's light wood desk. Chloe's desk was cluttered and filled with photos and what looked like student drawings. Chloe dragged a chair in front of her desk and indicated for Beca to take a seat as she did the same behind the desk. "Thanks for sparing a moment. What time do you start work?"

"I work 10-2 at the station."

"Not many people listening at that time," Chloe said absently as she pulled some notes from a drawer.

"Thanks," Beca snapped, slightly shocked by the verbal slap in the face.

Chloe blinked at the response and seemed to realise that what she'd said was offensive. "Sorry. I need to work on my filter. I thought you said you started work at 4 yesterday?"

"Yeah the other jockey was away so I was doing the early morning and afternoon shift. I'm back to my regular shift today though," Beca explained.

"Good to know. Well I looked over Tyler's file and I have a few options that might work for him. I think Tyler needs a lot of one-on-one work to catch up on what he has missed over the last year. There are a lot of core skills that he has missed, which is maybe why school is so hard for him now. We have qualified staff at Barden that are trained to do that work with him in class or outside. So we can find someone that he gets along with who can sit with him during his English and Math lessons."

"You won't be doing it?" Beca asked.

Chloe sighed and leaned back in her chair. "I wish I could but I'm the head of the music department and with the amount of time he'd need we'd need to meet every day before and after school. That's a really big commitment for you both to make at this point and I'm worried that it might be too much work to take on so quickly."

"But he likes you."

"I know but-"

"No you don't get it. Tyler has spent the last year refusing to speak to anyone but me and the friends of mine that he knew before the accident. He doesn't acknowledge his teachers unless it is to yell at them. With you, today and yesterday, is the most he's interacted with a stranger in over a year. I don't care how early I need to be here or how late; I want you helping him." Beca bit her lip and looked at her lap as she slammed her mouth closed. That wasn't like her; she didn't ask for help from anyone for anything but this was about Tyler and Beca was certain that Chloe was the only person who could save him from the life he seemed headed for.

Chloe stared, surprised but considering, at the woman in front of her. She really didn't have the time to take this on but this woman, the person who knew Tyler best, was so passionate about helping her brother that Chloe was swayed. She realised that she'd pegged this woman wrong after she had assumed, in their first meeting, that the brunette wasn't willing to push Tyler in education. She had definitely judged the book by the ear spike cover and would need to give this woman more thought. "OK. I'll talk to Tyler and see if he wants that too."

"Really?" Beca asked as her head popped up.

"Sure. I want to help him Ms Mitchell, just as much as you do."

Beca forced her mouth to move into a real smile, not her usual smirk, to show Chloe that she was grateful.

"Well that's the main thing I wanted to talk to you about for now. I'll talk to Tyler today and let you know about what is decided. Just make sure Tyler is doing his homework because he will be getting some every day."

Beca nodded seriously. "I will."

"Good to hear. Have a good day Ms Mitchell."

"You too Miss Beale."

Beca could feel Chloe's eyes on her as she exited the room.

* * *

Chloe had just finished with a student and was preparing for the next when her classroom door slammed open and Tyler walked in, heading straight for the drums. Chloe was out of her chair and intercepting him within seconds.

"Tyler," she spoke harshly and the little boy stopped but crossed his arms and dropped his head, a scowl over his face. Chloe dropped to her knees in front of him but made sure there was distance between them and didn't make any effort to touch him. She could tell something had happened in class and he must have come here to use the drums to relieve some frustration. "You do not walk into my classroom and slam my door. You do not ignore my and just help yourself to the drums. You need to listen very carefully," Chloe's usually cheerful voice was low and harsh. "You are allowed to use this room as a sanctuary but it will come with some very serious conditions."

Chloe watched as Tyler's jaw clenched. "What's a sanctuary?"

"A sanctuary is a safe place that you can hide in when things get to be too much."

Tyler seemed to consider this and his face relaxed. "So I can come here when I get angry and I won't get in trouble?" He asked as he tried to understand what Chloe was offering.

"With conditions."

"What conditions?"

"If you feel yourself getting worked up in class you tell Mr Applebaum and if he says it's OK them you come straight here, nowhere else but here. He will call me and if you don't show up within five minutes then no sanctuary."

"OK."

"There's more. You treat this room with respect. You do not throw things or hit things. You walk into this room and the first thing you do is find me and ask permission, politely, to be here."

"OK."

"One more thing. You can use the drums as long as I don't have a class in here. OK?"

Tyler nodded and looked up at Chloe, there were tears in his eyes. "Can I play the drums?"

"Yes you can. I'm going to call Mr Applebaum, OK?"

Tyler nodded again and headed to the drum kit. He watched Chloe walk back to her desk and make the phone call. He made sure to only hover the sticks so that the noise wouldn't interrupt the phone call.

"Mr Applebaum," Benji answered the phone quickly.

"Hey Benji, it's Chloe."

"Is this about Tyler?"

"Yes he came to find me. What happened?" Chloe asked, glancing at Tyler and smiling as the boy air drummed so as to not interrupt her.

"There was a spelling test. He didn't know any of the words so he pushed over his desk and ran out."

"OK," Chloe frowned. "I'll sort him out."

"Do you want me to send Chris up to get him?"

"No I might just let him stay here for the day and cancel my other appointments. Can you send Chris up with some work though?"

"Sure."

"Thanks Benji. Oh and come see me when you have a free. I'm going to organise Tyler being able to come here whenever he gets too stressed before the outbursts."

"Thanks Chloe. Can you call Aubrey?"

Chloe winced. "You called her?"

"I'm sorry Chloe but he threw a desk and left the room, I had to," Benji defended.

"Yeah I understand. Don't worry. Just send Chris up." Chloe hung up and looked at Tyler. "Sorry Tyler I just need to call Miss Posen and then you can pound away."

Tyler nodded understandingly and Chloe dialled again.

"Chloe? Are you calling about Tyler?" Aubrey asked as she answered. She'd obviously seen the number as the music room.

"Yes he's with me."

"Good. I'll call his sister and then come and get him."

"Don't do that Bree," Chloe begged. "He is fine now and I have a plan to stop it happening again."

Aubrey rubbed a hand over her face. "Chloe you can't save everyone."

"I can save him. He came to me Aubrey. He was angry and upset and he came here. I can help him," she spoke softly so Tyler couldn't hear.

Aubrey groaned. "This is on your back Chloe. I'm not going to save your ass if this fails."

"I understand. Thanks Bree."

Aubrey hung up without responding and Chloe placed the phone back down and put her head in her hands.

"I'm sorry Miss Beale," Tyler spoke in a low voice from his drums on the other side of the room.

Chloe looked up and smiled softly of him. "It's OK Tyler. I'm actually really proud of you for coming to me. Are you ready to tell me what happened in class?"

Tyler hit a stick hard on the drum in front of him, the bang echoing in the room. "Chris said the words were really easy but I couldn't spell any of them. I'm dumb."

"I find that word offensive and I never want to hear you use it again," Chloe said harshly. "Tyler. If I was given a list of words to spell that I had never heard or seen before and I couldn't spell any of them, would you call me dumb?"

Tyler frowned as he considered his answer. "No."

"And if I told you about a boy who had missed a lot of school and didn't know his multiples but could play any song of a guitar, would you call him dumb?"

"No."

"So why do you think that you are dumb after missing most of your fourth year when you can freestyle on the drums like no ones business?"

"Drums are easy."

"I can't play them. Piano, guitar, violin, singing… I can do it all. Not the drums though. That's why I have them sitting there, to remind myself that no one is perfect. We all have our skills and our limitations. But Tyler, you are outing this limitations on yourself."

"What's a limitation?"

"Have you ever played soccer?"

"Yeah I'm a striker."

"You know how you need to keep the ball in the white lines on the field?"

"Yeah."

"That's a limitation. You are giving yourself this small box and saying you can't do anything outside of it even though you can."

"How?"

"That's what I'm here for. Me and you are going to work our butts off making your field bigger and bigger and catching you up on everything you've missed. You're going to need to work hard for me though and I'm not going to take any more of this 'dumb' nonsense."

Tyler nodded as Chris knocked on the door and walked in with Tyler's work for the day. "Thanks Chris," Chloe said as she took the work.

"Your welcome Miss Beale." Chris glanced at Tyler before focusing on Chloe again. "Is Tyler in trouble or can he play dodge ball with us?"

Chloe looked at Tyler who seemed to get excited over Chris still wanting to play with him even after he'd been naughty in class. "Well if Tyler can get through this work then I don't see any reason why he can't play. What do you say Tyler?"

"I'll see you at lunch Chris," Tyler said as he stood from the drums and headed over to Chloe to start on the work.

"Thank again Chris."

"Your welcome Miss Beale," Chris responded politely again before leaving.

Tyler pulled a seat up to Chloe's desk, the same Beca had used, so that the redhead could help him. He picked up an English worksheet first and did his best to answer the questions. Chloe watched as he poked his tongue out as he focused and let him work; only helping when he asked for it.

* * *

"Yo, you OK?" Cynthia Rose asked as she watched Beca glance at her phone yet again.

"Yeah, sorry. Tyler started a new school today and I'm dreading another phone call that he got the boot."

"Another one? What's that? 10 now?"

"Don't remind me," Beca groaned as she tucked her phone away again.

"Well your shift is over. Why don't you go down to the school and see how he's doing? Get an update or something."

"Do school's do that?" Beca asked.

"I'm not the one with a kid, how would I know?"

Beca considered it. That music teacher would probably know how Tyler was doing. "Yeah OK, I'll try it. Thanks CR, see you later."

"Later."

* * *

"Ms Mitchell, what a surprise!" Jessica greeted as Beca walked into the office.

"Yeah, hi. Can I talk to Ms Beale?" Beca cut straight to the chase.

"I'll just give her a call to see if she is available."

Beca nodded. She hadn't even considered that the redhead could be teaching or too busy to just drop everything on Beca's whims.

"Miss Beale, Ms Mitchell is here to speak with you," Beca listened in on Jessica's phone conversation. "One moment, I'll just ask her." Jessica covered the mouthpiece to speak to Beca. "She was wondering if you remembered where her room was?"

Beca nodded.

"She does. Shall I tell her to head down? Thank you Miss Beale." Jessica hung up the phone and handed Beca a visitor pass. "She asked for you to just head on down."

"Thanks," Beca said nonchalantly as she made her way to Chloe's room. The door was open when she got there so she just walked straight in and over to the redhead who was sitting alone at her table. Chloe looked up and smiled at Beca as Beca slid into the chair that was still at Chloe's desk.

"Good to see you again so soon Ms Mitchell. How was your shift?"

"It was whatever. I'm sorry for bugging you again but I wanted to see how Tyler was today?" Beca said as she scratched her neck.

"You are welcome anytime," Chloe smiled warmly. "There was an incident this morning. He got a bit upset, knocked over his desk and left the room."

"Shit," Beca swore.

"It was fine. He came here to see me and I calmed him down. We've decided that in the future should he start feeling frustrated he can come here to calm down and do his work with me. As long as he doesn't misuse it then I'm hopeful that it will work," Chloe smiled.

"Where is he now?" Beca asked.

"After lunch I asked him to go back to his class and see if he could give it another try." Chloe glanced at the time on her computer. "And it looks like he's doing great," she commented when she realised the school day would be over soon. "He will be back up soon though because I have his homework."

"So he just spent the day in here with you?" Beca asked.

"Yes but don't worry. He not only did all the same work as his class but I snuck in quite a bit of English and Math core skills." Chloe grabbed a workbook from her drawer and handed it over to Beca.

Beca glanced at the pages full of her little brother's messy writing. "He did all of this today?"

"I'm a bit of a slavedriver," Chloe shrugged.

Beca was floored. This woman had somehow had her brother do more in one day than he'd done in the first month of year 5 at all of his other schools combined. "This is great."

"It's a start. The goal is to get him staying in class more and keeping this extra work time to before and after school but we'll get there eventually. Speaking of, do you know when you will be able to start bringing him in early?"

"Does tomorrow work?"

Chloe gasped. She'd hoped for a week to try and sort out her extra-curricular activities before adding to her workload but she couldn't exactly say no. She'd just pull back on her choir group and move her lesson planning to the weekends. It would only be temporary anyway, Tyler was learning quickly. "That's fine. How is 7 and 4? An hour before and after."

"That's great. Miss Beale… I really appreciate this and I am aware that you don't need to do this and I know it's going to take up a lot of your time."

Chloe waved her away. "It's why I became a teacher. I mean, it certainly wasn't the pay, otherwise I'd have been an exotic dancer."

Beca barked a laugh in surprise and her mind immediately imagined the redhead stripping. She use that later on when she needed to relax.

"Can I ask you a personal question Ms Mitchell?"

"Sure."

"I've noticed that Tyler's struggles began after his parents died, which is very understandable. Would you mind telling me about what happened?" Chloe asked softly.

Beca scratched her neck nervously. "I don't really talk about it but I guess you should know since you're gonna be helping Ty. I'd been saving since high school to move out to LA and try to make it as a producer. I finally had enough to get there and I was having a going away thing. Mum, Gary and Ty-he was Tyler's dad but my stepfather, even though he pretty raised me from when I was 10-had an accident on the way there. A speeding car hit them head on when it crossed into their lane. Mum and Gary were killed on impact but Tyler survived. He had a broken arm and was banged around but he was fine. I got guardianship of him and needed to stay. He refuses to talk about the crash with anyone and never even mentions them. He used to be this happy goofy kid, just like my cousin, but now he just seems quiet and sad. He is a good kid, I swear, whenever he is with me. The Tyler in that meeting yesterday isn't who is really is."

"I know," Chloe agreed. "I can't imagine what he must be feeling after having been in the car. And you as well."

"Beca shrugged it off, "I'm fine."

Chloe squinted her eyes. "Maybe Tyler doesn't talk about it because you don't. You are his role model now Ms Mitchell and if he sees you closing yourself off then he will copy."

Beca glared at the interfering redhead. "Are you a shrink or a music teacher."

Chloe grinned, ignoring the fire in Beca's words and expression. "You'd be surprised how similar they are."

A bell sounded, signalling the end of the school day.

"I appreciate you telling me Ms Mitchell," Chloe said as she began organising Tyler's homework.

"I prefer Beca," Beca responded.

Chloe beamed. "I prefer Chloe."

"Nice to meet you… well not meet you cause we did that yesterday but officially, well no that's not what I mean either-" Beca rambled.

"Nice to meet you too," Chloe replied easily as Tyler walked into the room.

"I did it Miss Beale!" Tyler cheered before seeing his sister. "Oh. Beca. Did I do something wrong?" Tyler questioned.

"You did really well today Tyler," Chloe answered. "I was just telling your sister how hard you worked and she has promised to make sure you do your homework before anything else."

"Even Mariokart?"

"Especially Mariokart. The quicker you do it the longer you can practice and you will definitely need practice because I am officially challenging you to a race and I won't go soft just because you are 10," Chloe threatened.

Beca laughed. "Is that how you get your kicks?" Beca joked. "Beating little kids."

Chloe grinned, "Well I know you're the same height as a 10 year old so maybe I'll challenge you as well."

"I wouldn't," Tyler warned, smiling at the interaction between his sister and his new favourite person. He knew his sister liked dating women and a plan began to form in his head that meant Chloe would be spending a lot more time with him. "She's really good."

"We'll see," Chloe grinned.

"This weekend?" Tyler offered.

Chloe and Beca's heads snapped to the little boy.

"Umm," Chloe started, trying to figure out a way to explain that she couldn't actually see Tyler outside of school hours.

"Trust me Ty, Chloe can't handle me beating her. Let's give her an out and let her pass on the challenge," Beca covered.

Tyler grinned when Beca called his teacher by her first name, even though he hadn't been able to get her to come over for the weekend.

"Thanks for taking mercy on me," Chloe said gratefully. "Here is your homework. I will be seeing you bright and early at 7 tomorrow and after school as well," Chloe explained, "So if you struggle with any questions tonight just circle them, try your best, and we'll go over them tomorrow."

Tyler nodded and carefully put his homework into his backpack.

"Thanks for taking the time to talk to me," Beca said as she stood to leave.

"As I said: anytime." Chloe reached a hand out and Beca shook it. It was their first physical contact and Beca was sure she wasn't imagining the tingles that flew up her arm.

* * *

A very tired Chloe pushed open her apartment door and dragged herself inside. A pleasant and surprising smell filled the apartment and Chloe quickly made her way to the kitchen after dropping her bag in her office. She looked around and opened the fridge but couldn't find anything that could have caused the smell but she did find a note on the counter from her live-in boyfriend.

Tom: The boys were over so we had pizza and decided to go for some drinks. I made them clean up after themselves. I'll wake you when I get home for my reward ;)

Chloe sighed and scrunched the note and threw it away. She was starving but it looked like Tom hadn't done the shopping even though it was his turn this week. She'd need to rush to do it after work the next day. Chloe showered and quickly went to bed, trying to get some rest before Tom followed through and did wake her up for sloppy, drunk sex just as he did most nights.

* * *

Beca tucked Tyler into bed. He'd finished his homework, had dinner, washed up and even played Mariokart for a while before bedtime.

"I'm really proud of you kid."

"Thanks sis," Tyler smiled as Beca placed a soft kiss on his forehead. "I love you."

"I love you too."

"Make sure you set two alarms," Tyler reminded, "I do want to be early for Miss Beale."

"I'll set three," Beca promised as she switched off his light. Things were looking up for the Mitchell's. Beca had no clue that as she spent a few hours making mixes for her shift at the station the next day there was a redhead crying into her pillow.

* * *

 **A/N: I really want to pursue this storyline with Chloe because as someone with depression I know what a smile can really hide and sometimes it takes the most broken people to help others with their problems. Thanks and let me know what you think of this. Peace.**


	3. Pretty Face

**A/N: Thank you so much for all the kind words. I was a bit nervous about tackling such a difficult and complicated topic but I'm so grateful for your feedback and support. This chapter may be hard to read for some of you and for that I'm sorry but I feel it's important that these topics be shown because they happen to so many people who are too ashamed to voice their struggles.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect, Pitch Perfect 2 or Pitch Perfect 3 in which Bechloe will finally become cannon (I hope).**

 **Tigger warnings: Domestic abuse, assault and rape.**

* * *

"Hurry up Bec!" Tyler yelled from the front door, an interesting turn of events from the day earlier when it had been Beca rushing Tyler out the door. Tyler was dressed properly in his uniform, his sleeves were down, his tied was tied and his shirt was tucked into the black trousers.

"Why are you in such a rush?" Beca questioned as she walked into the room. "We're going to beat her there by half an hour if we leave now."

"I want to stop at the shops on the way," Tyler explained.

"You do?"

"Yep. I still have the money from the tooth fairy and I want to get Miss Beale a muffin or something."

Beca grinned and ruffled her little brother's hair, causing him to glare and try to smooth his brown hair back down. His hair was getting long and he would need a haircut soon. Beca mentally added it to the ever growing to do list. "We can get a muffin but you save that money for yourself, deal?"

"Deal," Tyler grinned as they made their way out of the apartment and to Beca's bomb of a car. "I think Miss Beale would like chocolate, what do you think?"

"Who doesn't like chocolate," Beca shrugged. "Did you check out those pencils I got you?"

"Yep."

"Anything else you need?"

"Let's ask Miss Beale," Tyler grinned and Beca shook her head. One day and the redhead had the boy wrapped around her finger. She really needed to get lessons.

"OK. Remind me to ask her," Beca said as she pulled away from the curb.

* * *

Chloe shrugged on her suit jacket and double-checked her outfit in the mirror. There was no cleavage on display when she leaned down and she could kneel easily in the knee-length skirt. It was probably tighter than Aubrey would have liked but it passed as appropriate for working with children. Chloe smiled at her reflection and tiptoed from the bathroom into the bedroom to grab her shoes. She accidentally bumped the dresser and Tom woke up at the sound.

"Where are you off to?" He growled from the bed as he raised himself onto his elbows, not caring that the sheet had been pulled off him in the night and he was giving Chloe an eyeful.

"I need to be at school early for tutoring. I will be starting at 7 for the next few weeks," Chloe mumbled.

"You didn't clear that with me."

"I'm sorry."

Tom sighed and climbed out of bed. "Guess you'll just have to make it up to me," He growled as he stalked towards where she was standing at the closest. He placed himself between her and the door so she knew she couldn't just run out.

"Tom I really need to go, I can't be late," Chloe tried.

Tom barely listened. "Then you'll need to hurry," he basically ordered as he pushed on Chloe's shoulders, forcing her to her kneel facing him.

Fifteen minutes later Chloe was rushing out of the door, reapplying her lipstick and straightening her clothes.

* * *

Chloe beamed as soon as she saw Beca and Tyler standing outside the school waiting for her. "Good morning Mitchells," she greeted. "You're early."

"The kid was determined to not keep you waiting," Beca explained as Chloe unlocked the school door with her keys and led them inside the building and to her room.

"No I didn't," Tyler denied, glaring at his sister for outing him.

"Oh I'm sorry. That must have been me," Beca rolled her eyes but her smirk turned into a smile when she heard Chloe's light laugh.

"Well whoever decided to get here early, thank you, it's appreciated," Chloe commented as she took a seat at her desk and gestured for Beca and Tyler to sit in the two she had moved in front of her desk before leaving the day before.

"You're welcome," Beca and Tyler said at the same time, glaring at each other for a moment before sitting.

"I got this for you," Tyler said shyly as he placed the box he had been carrying onto Chloe's desk. "It's chocolate."

Chloe grinned at the boy and opened the cardboard takeaway box to reveal a sizely chocolate muffin. Her eyes lit up and she ignored the burn in her stomach that reminded her she hadn't eaten since lunch the day before. "It looks delicious, thank you very much angel."

Tyler bounced in his seat and beamed at his teacher; happy to be called the same thing she called the rest of the year 5 kids. They'd told him that Chloe had been their class teacher the year before and he'd been jealous. Mr Applebaum seemed fine but Miss Beale was way better.

"Thank you for bringing him in Ms-Beca," Chloe quickly corrected herself. "How did he go with homework?"

"Pretty good. It took him a while but he tried really hard," Beca complimented.

"That's great to hear," Chloe smiled.

"Chloe," Beca started, realising for the first time what a nice name it was and how it suited the redhead. "I got Ty some pencils yesterday because he seems to have a problem with hanging on to his stuff. Do you have a list of other things he will need?"

"Yes I do," Chloe responded as she dug through a bottom drawer until she found a slightly ruffled piece of paper with a list of items of it. "This should cover everything," Chloe said as she handed the list to Beca. "Tyler you are more than welcome to leave your pencil case in your desk at school so you don't lose anything," Chloe recommended.

"Thank you Miss Beale," he replied politely, just as Chris had done, surprising Beca once again.

"Well I don't want to keep you from your day Beca. We should get started," Chloe said.

Beca frowned at the dismissal but couldn't think of any reason to stay so with an awkward wave and another tousle of her brother's hair she left him in Chloe's obviously capable hands.

* * *

"Sup Becs," Cynthia Rose greeted as she entered the booth at the start of Beca's shift to grab some CDs. "How'd things turn out with Ty yesterday?"

"Great actually," Beca replied honestly. "He has this new teacher who is a god-send. She's the music teacher there and she's got him coming to her whenever he gets pissed instead of hitting things. She's even got him doing an extra hour before and after school to catch up on the work he's missed over the last year."

"Shit, really?" Cynthia Rose asked, her brows rising. "That's impressive."

"He's actually being pretty cute about it, I think he has a crush. He insisted on getting her a muffin this morning and keeps going on about asking her over to play Mariokart," Beca smirked thinking about the momentary re-emergence of her sweet little brother.

Cynthia Rose whistled, impressed by the quick improvements. "She a looker?"

Beca shrugged but refused to reply, knowing CR wouldn't let it rest if she said Chloe was the most stunning person she'd ever seen… and that was before she found out that the personality matched the outside.

"What school?" CR asked, changing tracks.

"Barden Elementary," Beca answered easily.

CR nodded and pulled out her phone, tapping a few buttons before whistling again.

"What?" Beca asked curiously.

CR turned her phone around to show a staff picture of Chloe on the Barden website. "I'd have a crush too if she was my teacher. In fact I think I already do." CR grinned as she looked at her phone again.

Beca frowned. She really didn't like her friend perving on Chloe like she was some kind of meat. "Cut it out," she snapped.

"Calm down," CR placated as she locked her phone and put it away. "Nothing good can come from you getting horny for the kid's teacher," CR warned as she exited the booth.

"I never said she made me horny!" Beca defended lamely. She sunk into her chair. Who was she kidding? Chloe was perfect.

* * *

Chloe was halfway through teaching the last lesson of the day when her phone rang. "Break into pairs and work through the sheet," Chloe said as she moved to her desk to grab the phone.

"Miss Beale speaking," she answered.

"Hey Chloe, it's Benji."

"Oh hey Benji. What's up?"

"Tyler is on his way to you."

Chloe pouted. "Oh no. I thought he was going to last the day. What happened?"

"He was struggling with a math worksheet and when I offered to help he got angry but he asked to go see you before he did anything wrong so at least we have improvement. I'm sorry Chloe."

"Don't be sorry. Look how far you two got today! I'd take the win."

"Thanks Chloe. He has his bag and worksheet with him because he said he has tutoring with you after school. I didn't think you were going to do that?"

"His sister was very passionate about it," Chloe explained.

"Yeah well make sure to leave time for yourself and I'm sure that boyfriend of yours isn't keen on needing to share you even more."

Chloe forced her smile to remain in place. Benji would never know how right he was. "He won't need it forever. Thanks Benji, see you tomorrow."

"Alright bye Chloe."

Chloe had only just hung up the phone when her door flew open and Tyler stormed in. Her threw his bag on the floor and marched over to Chloe at the desk, ignoring the 3rd grade eyes that were focused on him.

"Can I use sanctuary," Tyler asked, attempting to force himself to stay in control.

Chloe felt her heart clench at the obvious attempt he was making to follow Chloe's rules. "Of course you can angel," Chloe replied as she took the worksheet from him and set it on her desk.

Tyler glanced at the students in the room for the first time and looked at Chloe with sad eyes. "I can't drum can I?"

Chloe grinned and knelt down. "Actually you can. I moved your drums into one of the soundproof booths just in case. Go ahead."

Tyler smiled lightly before turning and running from the room in search of his drums. Chloe resumed her class, hearing only a very faint hum that told her where Tyler was.

* * *

Tyler had calmed down and re-entered the classroom before the end of the day so Chloe had started him on some work while she finished her class. After the bell rang Chloe had worked through the math sheet with Tyler and made notes about where his numeracy holes were. Almost too soon Chloe's phone was ringing with a four o'clock alarm reminding her to get the groceries. Chloe packed away her and Tyler's things, making sure he had his homework, and walked with Tyler out of the school, assuming that Beca was waiting outside, but she wasn't.

"Is she normally late?" Chloe asked after a few minutes of small talk to distract the boy from the fact that his sister didn't show up.

Tyler shook his head with wide eyes, tearing up slightly.

"Hey, it's OK," Chloe comforted, placing an arm around the small boy's shoulders as they sat on the half wall outside of the school. "Do you remember her number?"

Tyler nodded and punched the number into Chloe's phone when she handed it over.

The call connected quickly and Chloe pressed it to her ear, smiling at Tyler to show everything was fine.

"Hello?" A confused and breathless voice answered.

"Beca Mitchell? This is Chloe Beale from your son's school."

"Oh thank fuck!" Came the response that caused Chloe to raise her eyebrows. "My shitdick of a car carked it! Now I'm stuck on the side of the road waiting for a tow truck that used the last of my minutes to call. I'm really sorry Chloe, I'll catch a bus as soon as the tow truck gets here but I just can't leave it here unlocked. I tried to call the school but no minutes," Beca ranted.

Chloe chewed her lip and glanced at the visibly worried Tyler as she considered her options. She sighed, knowing she shouldn't do this and it would equal yet another day without groceries. "Don't worry about a bus. Where are you? I'll bring Tyler to you and give you both a lift home," Chloe offered.

"Seriously?" Beca questioned.

"If that's OK?"

Normally Beca would turn down any offer for help but desperate times… "Thank you Chloe, really. I'll pay you back… well not with money but I will, somehow."

Chloe laughed, "All in a day's work. So where are you?"

"Corner of Queen and Birch."

"We'll be there soon, don't stress."

"Easier said," Beca joked as she hung up and leaned against her bomb.

* * *

Beca stood from the gutter and climbed into the passenger seat of Chloe's car as it pulled up. She twisted her body to look at Tyler in the back. "I'm so sorry Ty. I was on my way early but it just cut out. I'm really sorry." Beca knew that Tyler must have been upset but he didn't really seem like that anymore.

"It's OK. I knew the car would die soon and Miss Beale was there," Tyler grinned.

Beca smiled back, of course Tyler would see extra time with the teacher as a positive. Beca sat back in the seat properly and pulled her seatbelt on. "Thanks Chloe, for literally picking me up from the gutter."

Chloe laughed and pulled away from the curb. "Don't mention it. Where to?"

Chloe listened to Beca multitask stressing and giving Chloe directions. It was a little impressive. "So apparently it was the timing belt which means the car is a write off. Turn left at the lights. I'm going to need to get a new car, or at least a new to me car when I can barely afford petrol to put in the useless thing. Take the next right. So I guess that means the bus for a little while. Does Barden have a school bus? Right again."

"Yes it does," Chloe replied as she made the turns.

"But it wouldn't get Ty there in time for tutoring, would it?"

Chloe shook her head but kept her eyes on the road.

"Dammit!" Beca yelled, slamming Chloe's dash.

Chloe glanced at her from the corner of her eye. "Please don't make me catch the bus too," Chloe joked and Beca looked at her sheepishly.

"Sorry," she apologised. "Just up here on the left."

Chloe pulled over to the side of the road. Beca's apartment was in the complete opposite direction of her own and it would take well over half an hour to get home. "I have an idea," Chloe started, hating the sad looks on each Mitchell's face. "I live really close to here. I can pick Tyler up in the mornings and drop him back if that's OK with you." Chloe was rewarded with two pairs of dark blue eyes beaming at her like she was the second coming.

"I can't ask you to do that," Beca said eventually even though Chloe could sense she was desperate to say yes.

"You didn't ask, I offered. It's no trouble, I promise."

"Please Bec," Tyler urged from the back seat when he was worried his sister would say no to daily car rides with his teacher.

"Actually yes, that would be so fantastic you don't even know," Beca conceded, her gratitude overwhelming her pride.

"Sounds good. I'll see you at a quarter to seven tomorrow Tyler," Chloe said as she turned in her seat.

Tyler grinned at her. "Cool."

"Do you… umm… want to come in? I at least owe you a meal or something," Beca offered awkwardly.

"Thanks for the offer but I should be getting home," Chloe responded.

"Right. You probably have lessons to plan and a boyfriend to cook for," Beca joked, hoping to actually find out if Chloe was single and/or gay.

Chloe forced a laugh that caused Beca to frown at the sound of it. "Actually I do."

"Oh," Beca said, trying to decide what had caused Chloe's forced laugh. "Well… thank you," Beca said again as her and Tyler climbed from the car.

"Anytime," Chloe responded as she waved and drove away.

Beca glanced at her brother and saw he was frowning. "What's up kid? I thought this would be your dream come true?"

"Miss Beale has a boyfriend," he pouted.

Beca threw an arm around her neck and pulled him inside the building. "Neither of us are happy about that kid, don't worry."

* * *

Chloe walked through the door of her apartment feeling exhausted and starving. The last thing was wanted was for Tom to be home… which meant that he most definitely was.

"Where have you been?" Tom asked the second she'd closed and locked the front door.

"Working. I told you that I have a student to see before and after school now. I haven't even had time to plan lessons though so I need to do that now," Chloe explained as she tried to make her way past Tom and into her office.

Chloe grabbed her arm to stop her. "I thought I told you that I didn't like you working from home when I'm here? This is my time."

Chloe closed her eyes and swallowed. "I'm sorry Tom but I have so much to do."

"No excuse," he argued. Tom took Chloe's bag from her and threw it carelessly into the corner of the room. He used the hand he still had gripped on her arm to move her so that the front of her body was pressed into the wall. He yanked the zipper of her skirt undone and pulled it down. He growled when he saw that Chloe was wearing stockings and decided to just rip a hole in the crotch instead of taking the time to strip her properly. Chloe pressed her forehead into the wall and bit her lip to muffle the cries as he pushed her panties aside and thrust himself straight into her.

Chloe forced her mind away from what was happening, something she'd grown to rely on as a coping mechanism. Her imagination took her back to the humble Mitchell residence where Beca was probably cooking a meal and Tyler was either playing Mariokart or doing his homework. Chloe imagined what it would have been like if she'd accepted the invitation and stayed for dinner. Beca seemed like the type of person to make a lot of tacos or spaghetti, uncomplicated dishes. Chloe would help wash up and they could talk about music, something they had in common considering Beca worked at a radio station. Chloe would swear that pop was the best and Beca seemed like the type to like anything alternative. Chloe would need to tune in to her station during work one day to see if she was right. Eventually she felt Tom jolt and go slack. He slapped her butt as he pulled out.

"Thanks baby, I love you."

"I love you too," Chloe answered mechanically.

"Can you go get me some Chinese for dinner, babe?"

"Sure." Chloe dressed herself and left quickly, keeping her tears at bay until she was in the comfort of her car.

* * *

Beca typed a few words on her phone and deleted them before typing again. She didn't know why she was even considering this. She only had Chloe's number because the redhead had needed to call her about Tyler being alone, sending her a text message would be extremely inappropriate but here she was, sitting on her uncomfortable couch with Tyler asleep and nothing good on the TV. Oh well, she just wanted to say thank you.

Beca: Hi Chloe, it's Beca Mitchell, Tyler's sister from Barden. I just wanted to say thank you again. You're great.

* * *

Chloe looked up from her work laptop when she heard her phone bing in the bedroom. She left the office and snuck into the room, grabbing her phone and not waking Tom. She closed the door with a soft click and returned to the office, only checking the message once she was sitting down. She smiled to herself when she saw the kind words from the brunette.

Chloe: Hello Beca Mitchell, Tyler's sister from Barden. I'm glad you narrowed that down because I know tonnes of Beca Mitchells.

Beca grinned when her phone chimed a few minutes later with a text from the teacher and she rolled her eyes as she read the message.

Beca: I take it back. You aren't great. You're mean.

Chloe grinned and closed her laptop when Beca texted her again. Work could wait. At least this time it was her choice.

Chloe: You figured me out. I thought I was hiding it so well.

Beca laughed and turned her TV off, making no effort to hide that her entire attention was now dedicated to this text conversation.

Beca: Well the pretty face sure helps hide it.

Chloe gasped as she read the most recent message. Was Beca flirting with her? Well two could play that game.

Chloe: That's not the only thing my pretty face can hide ;p

Beca grinned at the reply. It looked like Chloe had a different side when the teacher clothes came off. Beca had to force herself back from the brink after imagining Chloe taking off the aforementioned teacher clothes.

Beca: Care to share? You know all my secrets; can I know some of yours?

Chloe bit her lip as the conversation once again changed lanes. Beca was very dangerous.

Chloe: If I told you then I'd have to kill you.

Beca: Did you just threaten me?

Chloe blinked at the reply, suddenly remembering she was texting a guardian of a student. She typed a few replies and deleted them all, not knowing if Beca was serious. Before she could reconsider she pressed call instead.

Beca jumped slightly when her phone started ringing, Chloe's name flashing on the screen. Beca swallowed and cleared her throat; even straightening her clothes before realising that Chloe couldn't see her.

"Hey pretty face," Beca answered confidently proud of herself for the witty greeting.

Chloe laughed lightly. "Good you were joking. I just wanted to check."

"Well you do know where I live so…" Beca trailed off.

Chloe sighed. "I'm being really unprofessional, I'm sorry. I think I'm just so tired I'm becoming irrational and doing things I really shouldn't be."

"I'm glad to be something you're doing," Beca joked again.

"Beca!" Chloe gasped. "I'm your littler brother's teacher!"

"Well you're not my teacher," Beca argued.

"It doesn't matter. Aubrey is very strict on the fact that teachers can't sleep with parents, siblings or guardians."

"Wow. Sleep with? Take me out to dinner first." Beca was worried she'd pushed it too far when Chloe didn't say anything for a while.

"I have a boyfriend," she said eventually.

"Tell me about him," Beca asked, just wanting to keep the redhead on the phone.

"His name is Tom. We met in college. He works in finance."

Beca frowned. That was a weird way to describe someone. "Sounds successful."

"Sure," Chloe agreed, not wanting to say much more about the man. "What about your boyfriend?"

"I'm gay," Beca said bluntly.

"Girlfriend?" Chloe asked, not losing a step.

"Single since…" Beca trailed off, knowing Chloe could understand what event she was referring to.

"Well you're a catch. I'm sure you'll have girls clambering all over you soon."

"Yeah I have my eye on someone already," Beca hinted.

"Oh?" Chloe asked, not liking the jealousy in her tone.

"Yeah. Redhead. Teacher. Loves music. You know the type."

Chloe laughed as she realised who Beca was describing. "Give her my number so I can put in a good word for you."

"Thanks."

Chloe breathed a sigh. "I should probably go. I have some more work to do before I go to bed."

Beca glanced at her watch, noting the time. "You're still working?"

"Busy life of a teacher. It's not just all glamorous holidays."

"I don't doubt it."

"Goodnight Beca, see you in the morning."

"Goodnight Chloe."

* * *

Chloe pulled up outside of Beca's building early in the morning and was pleasantly surprised to see Beca and Tyler standing outside waiting for her.

"Hey pretty face," Beca greeted as she leaned through Chloe's open passenger window.

Chloe smiled back, shaking her head slightly at the brunette. "Now I need to think of something witty to call you."

"Might I suggest badass?"

"Doesn't suit you. I was thinking more like… Candy cane… or rainbow?" Chloe joked, enjoying the way the cocky brunette's face fell.

"Funny," she deadpanned.

"Beca," Tyler whined, nudging Beca out of the way so that he could climb into the front seat of the car. "Good morning Miss Beale," he smiled as he put his seat belt on.

"Morning Tyler." Chloe glanced at the boy's uniform and gasped. "Is that a full Windsor Knott?"

"Yep," Tyler grinned. "I looked it up on Beca's laptop. How'd I do?"

"It looks great angel," Chloe complimented. She glanced at Beca who had returned her head to the window. "Well we should get going."

"OK. Drive safe, you have precious cargo on board."

"I will," Chloe promised, glancing at Tyler.

"Not just him," Beca said as she pulled away and tapped the roof of the car.

Chloe didn't fight her wide smile as she pulled away with Tyler.

* * *

"There you are! Chloe baby I need you," Stacie said as she walked into the music room and dropped to her knees right next to Chloe's desk, ignoring the fact that there was obviously a student in the room and Chloe was busy.

Chloe giggled at her friend. "Miss Conrad this is Tyler and Tyler this is your dance teacher Miss Conrad. You should be meeting her in the coming weeks when you start preparing for the concert."

"Hi Tyler. Sorry to interrupt but I am desperate for your teacher. Please Chloe, please!" Stacie begged again causing Tyler to frown at both the interruption and the way Chloe was acting with this person.

Chloe noticed his face and jumped quickly to explain. "Miss Conrad runs the staff softball team and she is trying to recruit me."

"Yes because when I looked at the sign-up sheet this morning I noticed your name was missing! It's just a mistake right? Training is tonight and it's the deadline to lock in the team. Please tell me you're gonna be there Chloe," Stacie begged again, adding a pout to her efforts.

Chloe sighed and bit her lip. She hated disappointing people but she really didn't have time for more. "I'm really sorry Stace but I just don't have time this year. Plus I'm working with Tyler here for an hour everyday after school."

"That's fine! Training starts at 4 so you can still do both!"

"Stacie-"

"C'mon Chlo! It's only Tuesdays and Thursdays after school with the games on Sunday mornings. We need our shortstop. Please."

Chloe rubbed her face as she tried to mentally shuffle around everything she had on to make it fit. Tuesday and Thursday might work if Chloe could convince Tom to spend those nights out with his friends so he would never notice her gone or working when she did get home. Sunday mornings was when Tom slept late and Chloe did most of her planning. "OK fine Stacie, you win. I'll move some stuff around but-"

"You'll be there! Yes! OK 4pm today. Thanks babe," Stacie walked from the room swaying her hips more than necessary and Chloe turned back to Tyler.

"Sorry about that Tyler," Chloe apologised but Tyler was still frowning.

"You're meant to take me home after tutoring."

"Oh no," Chloe gasped. She pulled out her phone and called Beca.

"Hey PC," the brunette answered quickly.

Chloe frowned, momentarily forgetting her stress at the sound of hearing the other woman's voice. "PC?"

"Precious cargo," Beca explained.

Chloe laughed. "I prefer pretty face, rainbow."

"Well I prefer anything that isn't rainbow."

"OK Candy cane."

"Did you just call to bully me or…?"

Chloe laughed again. "I stuffed up and double booked something. I have softball training after school at 4 today. Is it OK if Tyler comes with me and I dropped him off after? It won't run too late and there will be lots of other kids there or he can do his homework on the bench."

Beca didn't even need to consider it. "That's totally fine Chloe. You're doing us a favour and I'm hardly going to get demanding about it. Besides I'm pretty sure Tyler will be ecstatic to spend a little more time with his favourite teacher."

Chloe grinned and was happy to see that Tyler looked over the moon about the plans he could hear her making with his sister. "Thank you Beca. He'll be home for dinner, I promise."

"No worries. See you later."

"Bye." Chloe hung up her phone. "Does that sound OK Tyler?"

He nodded happily but it turned into a frown when the bell rang for him to go to class.

"I'll see you later Tyler," Chloe assured as the boy trudged out of the room and towards his classroom.

* * *

Chloe looked up from her work as the final bell of the day rang. She had worked through lunch and had actually caught up on all of her planning and marking so she was feeling much better. On top of it all it seemed like Tyler had lasted the entire day staying in his class. She decided to quickly call Benji for an update before Tyler arrived for tutoring.

"Mr Applebaum."

"Hey Benji. It's Chloe."

"Hey Chloe. Calling for an update of Tyler?"

"You know me too well. It looks like he made it through an entire day. That's great Benji!"

"Yeah it is. I was a little worried earlier during English because he seemed to be getting stressed but then he actually answered all the questions correctly and it really turned his attitude around. You are working miracles with that one."

Chloe beamed at hearing that Tyler was doing well. "Thanks Benji but you're his class teacher so don't sell yourself short. Well he's going to be here soon. See you at softball?"

Benji laughed. "When I didn't see your name on the list I'd assumed you'd finally accepted that you weren't some sort of superhero. My mistake."

"Stacie twisted my arm."

"OK… I worry about you Chloe. I know we are only work friends but if you want to talk or need to shift some of the load just let me know."

Chloe swallowed thickly at the man's words. "Thanks Benji. Have a good afternoon."

"You too Chlo."

* * *

"Hey CR," Beca called as she found the woman in her office.

"Beca? What are you still doing here? Shouldn't you be getting your brother by now?"

"Naw my car carked it so I'm taking the bus for a while so I figured I'd stay late and work on some mixes."

CR frowned. "That doesn't really explain where your brother is."

Beca scratched her neck. She hadn't really wanted to mention that Chloe was driving him but needed to give some sort of explanation to her boss. "A teacher is giving him lifts to and from school. There's some softball thing with the staff today so he's getting home later."

CR leaned back in her chair and observed the brunette. "This would be that redhead wouldn't it?"

Beca shrugged noncommittally.

"I wonder how tight those softball shorts are," CR hummed.

Beca blinked. Now that the image was in her mind she really wanted the answer. "You think you could give me a lift?"

"My pleasure."

* * *

Beca walked onto the outskirts of the field by herself. She'd convinced CR to drop her and go on the promise of a picture of a teacher in shorts. Beca took out her phone a snapped a picture of the nearest teacher, Benji, and send it through. CR had never elaborated on which teacher.

"Beca?" she heard her brother call from the dugout.

Beca headed in his direction and took a seat next to him. "Hey kid."

"What are you doing here? Chloe is meant to drive me home," Tyler pouted. He was holding his homework on his lap and seemed to be minding both a handbag and a sports bag.

Beca shrugged. "Where'd the kid who loved his big sister go?"

Tyler rolled his eyes and glanced back to the field. Beca followed his eyes and found Chloe on the field. She was wearing delicious yoga pants and a fitted singlet. Beca gulped. Even with the red locks hidden under a baseball cap Chloe was stunning. She watched as the redhead bended to get ready for the hit and almost fainted at the view. The ball was stuck right in Chloe's direction but she needed to dive forward in order to catch it on the full. She caught it gracefully and stood back up to dust off the grass and dirt from the diamond and threw the ball back to the leggy brunette pitcher.

"She's good," Beca commented.

"Yep," Tyler nodded before turning his attention back to his homework.

* * *

All too soon for Beca the training was over and Chloe was jogging over to the dugout. "Beca?" she questioned as she saw the brunette sitting next to Tyler.

"Hi," Beca waved awkwardly, just realising how strange it was to just show up and watch the woman play softball. "I was bored and I love softball so..."

"No problems," Chloe grinned as she grabbed the sports bag from beside Tyler and pulled out a towel.

"Since when do you love softball?" Tyler questioned as he put his finished homework in his bag.

"Shut it midget," Beca muttered but Chloe heard it.

"You really shouldn't make fun of other people's heights. He still has time to grow, you don't."

Beca's mouth fell open and Tyler laughed. "Rudeness!"

Chloe grinned and shrugged as she grabbed her bags, not bothering to change. "You guys ready to go?"

Beca closed her mouth and smiled at the way Chloe didn't make things awkward when she offered to give them both a lift home.

"Yep," Tyler answered. "And all my homework is done so I'm free if you want to play Mariokart."

Chloe laughed as they began to walk towards their cars, ignoring the way Aubrey was watching them intently. "I need to get home tonight but maybe some other time."

"He's gonna hold you to that," Beca warned as she slid into Chloe's car.

"I'm OK with that," Chloe smiled, actually liking the idea that one day in the future she'd be spending a night with the Mitchells.

* * *

Chloe took a breath to ready herself as she entered her apartment.

"Hey babe, how was your day?" Tom greeted from the couch to Chloe's surprise.

"Umm. Good. We had softball training tonight so-"

"That's cool. Aubrey told me."

Chloe tilted her head in confusion before turning and seeing the blonde sitting at the counter in the kitchen waiting for her. "Oh."

She dropped her bag and took the seat beside Aubrey and placed her phone on the bench so it wasn't in her pocket when she sat and Aubrey immediately pulled her closer so Tom wouldn't overhear the conversation.

"What is wrong with you?" Aubrey whispered furiously. "I came here straight from training. Where were you?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I gave someone a lift home, it's no big deal."

"It is a big deal," Aubrey snapped, still fighting to keep her voice low. "He is a student and she is his guardian. That is a huge no-no."

"There's nothing to it. She doesn't have a car and I'm tutoring him. It's completely professional, I promise."

Aubrey pinched the bridge of her nose. "Chloe I love you and your big bleeding heart but you can't do this. This is dangerous territory and you're going to get burned. You should be here, with your boyfriend, instead of frolicking around town with that woman. She is no good and Tom is a nice, decent man who loves you. Think about how you're treating him."

"I'm doing nothing wrong!" Chloe whispered back, feeling angry at how Aubrey had painted Beca and Tom to incorrectly. "And you don't even know her! Or Tom apparently. It is my life and my decisions."

Aubrey glared harshly at her friend. "I am your best friend and your boss. Consider this your first warning Chloe. Think about what having an inappropriate relationship with a parent will do to your reputation. This job is important to you. Are you really willing to risk it all for one boy and his sister?"

Chloe didn't need to consider her answer. "Yes."

"Well you're an idiot."

Chloe's phone vibrated and both woman glanced at it, seeing Beca's name flash across showing she'd texted the redhead.

"Nothing inappropriate," Aubrey sighed and shook her head before standing and leaving without another word except a polite goodbye to Tom.

The door was barely closed before Tom was up and pulling Chloe out of the stool. "What have I told you about being late?" He roared as he gripped both of her upper arms tightly in his large hands. "And you haven't even done the shopping this week so I have nothing to eat!"

"It was your turn," Chloe defended but she immediately regretted her words when Tom raised a hand and hit her across the face.

"I have a fucking career that pays for this apartment unlike your shitty job that barely covers all the crap you keep buying for those precious kids of yours. You better start listening to me or things are going to get very uncomfortable for you around here," Tom threatened.

Chloe nodded and dropped her head. There was no point in replying; she knew what would happen now. Unfortunately for Chloe Tom glanced at her phone as it vibrated again.

Beca: Thanks again for the lift pretty face.

Tom growled and threw the phone at the wall, smashing it into pieces. "This is where you've been? Out fucking some slut instead of here with me? You worthless, ungrateful bitch." Tom pushed Chloe backwards, causing her to trip and landed roughly on her back, her head knocking the ground. He was on her in a second, tearing her clothes and leaving bruises and scratches in his wake of destruction.

* * *

Beca glanced at her phone again wondering why Chloe hadn't replied. Before she could change her mind she pressed call but was only meant with an automated message without it even ringing. Beca shrugged, assuming Chloe had turned it off to spend some time with her boyfriend and distracted herself with making music.

* * *

 **A/N: And breathe. Let me know what you thought. Peace.**


	4. Kinsey says

**A/N: Wow. I'm totally blown away by how many people are reading this an leaving their opinions, it's crazy! I adore all of you and I really appreciate it. I've made sure this chapter is super long and it's low on the Tom and VERY HIGH on the Bechloe, so enjoy :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect or Blank Space, Gangnam Style, Just a Dream/Just the way you are remix (Bechloe own that), or Fancy. The versions of them I use in this chapter with the different instruments are all real things so go check them out :)**

* * *

Chloe woke up with her alarm and was immediately overcome with pain and sore muscles. She forced herself out of bed, wobbling as she stood on shaky legs. There was a yellow post-it on her bedside table with a glass of water, two pain pills and a roll of notes. She quickly swallowed the pills and gulped the water before looking at the ironically coloured note.

Tom: Morning babe. I'll be in New York until Monday. Here is some money for a new phone so you can text me the movie you watch with Aubrey tonight. Love you.

Chloe clenched her jaw and crumpled the note. Tom always claimed to have these last minute weekend work trips but Chloe had yet to see him actually pack a bag and he always returned stinking of cheap perfume and cigarettes. The positive was that he was satisfied and Chloe would have a few days rest. During the first business trip Chloe had spent the weekend bonding with Aubrey, watching movies and talking, and ever since he'd demanded that she do that whenever he went away. Chloe knew it was his way of ensuring she didn't stray while he wasn't there just as she knew Aubrey wouldn't know any better than being honest if he asked where Chloe was. Chloe had considered telling Aubrey when Tom had first hit her a year ago but he had apologised and swore to never do it again and Chloe had believed him. The next thing she knew it was a year later and she had accepted his behaviour as normal. Tom was successful and handsome and he would one day make a good father. Chloe couldn't wish for any better and Tom constantly reminded her of how lucky someone like her was to be with him.

Chloe fingered the money, feeling more like a whore than a girlfriend but the reality was that she needed a new phone and she did spend all of her own money on food or things for the kids at school.

Chloe sighed and wobbled her way into the shower, hoping that the hot water would ease some of her aching muscles and wash off the crusted blood from the worst of the scratches.

* * *

Chloe jumped out of the car when she pulled up beside the Mitchells at their building.

"Hey Mitchells," she greeted with a bright smile on her face. "Beca I'm really sorry I didn't reply last night. I dropped my phone," Chloe apologised as she help up a zip lock bag that held the phone pieces. She knew the phone couldn't be fixed but was hoping the sim card could be recovered.

"Damn," Beca said as she took the bag for closer inspection. "Did you drop it from a roof or something?" Beca asked, not entirely believing Chloe's story but not knowing why she would lie.

Chloe laughed lightly but didn't answer as she took the bag back. "I'm going to try and rush out on my lunch today to get a new one."

"It's Friday. We have dodge ball at lunch today," Tyler pointed out.

Chloe sighed a nodded. Dodge ball had become something she'd started as a competition between grades 3-6 and there were two games every week on a Tuesday and Friday. "That's right. Well maybe I can find an open shop after I drop you off."

"Well I'm not doing anything before work today. I can easily go in and get one for you and bring it in to Barden for you," Beca offered.

"You'd do that?"

Beca shrugged. "Sure. I do owe you, you know."

"That would help me out so much, you have no idea."

Beca shrugged again, trying to brush off Chloe's appreciation but internally promising herself to do whatever it took to get more of it. Chloe pulled her bag from the car and handed over Tom's money to Beca, causing Beca to frown as she looked at the wad of cash.

"What are you some lady of the night carrying huge amounts of cash?" Beca joked.

Chloe gave her regular fake laugh that Beca once again stored away for future consideration.

"I really appreciate this."

"What is it you say? Anytime."

Chloe grinned and on a whim pulled Beca in for a hug. It lasted longer than it should have but once Chloe had the woman in her arms she struggled to let go. Beca returned the hug cautiously, not used to being touched but still wanting to give Chloe the impression that the hug was not unwanted. Chloe let go, eventually, and moved back around the car and climbed in. Beca waved awkwardly as the car drove off carrying the most important person in her life and someone who was quickly becoming the second.

* * *

Chloe glanced at her watch and smiled. Her first class today was with her grade 5 angels, which meant Tyler as well as the students she had grown to love so fiercely the year before. "OK angels is it Friday. What does that mean?"

Chris, ever the brown-noser, stuck up his hand.

"Chris."

"Friday Funk Fun."

"Exactly!" Chloe cheered. "Addy can you remind me what that means?" Chloe wanted Tyler to learn the rules without once again drawing attention to the fact that he was new to the school and class.

"It means that all the people on level 5 get to name a song and instrument and if you can't play them then we get instrument time for the rest of the lesson."

"Correct. And Mark, how many times have I lost?" Chloe asked.

"Never."

"Precisely. Now let's look at our level 5s this week." Chloe had a scale for each class on their behaviour. They would move up based on participation, attitude in class and homework. "Oh wow we have 4 names this week! Sara, Chris-is this every week so far this year?-Tori and Tyler! Great job guys. Who wants to go first?"

Chris stuck his hand in the air and Chloe nodded.

"Fancy on…" Chris looked around the room, "Violin."

"Way to start it hard Chris, what did I ever do to you?" Chloe joked as she grabbed the violin. Chloe quickly played a few notes to make sure it was tuned, judging the notes by ear. "OK I'm gonna need your help. Hands up if you can click with both hands like this." Chloe showed them clicking with both hands. Half of the class raised their hands, including Tyler. "OK I want you to give me a beat like this… click… click… click…click. Got it?" They repeated what she'd shown them. "OK good, great, keep going. Every who isn't clicking I need you to clap for me, OK? So it's clap, clap… clap, clap… got it?" They started copying so they clapping and clicking were joining together creating the beat of Fancy. Chloe raised the violin and began adding it to the clicks and claps.

First thing's first, I'm the realest

Drop this and let the whole world feel it

And I'm still in the Murda Bizness

I could hold you down, like I'm givin' lessons in physics

You should want a bad chick like this

Drop it low and pick it up just like this

Cup of Ace, cup of Goose, cup of Cris

High heels, somethin' worth a half a ticket on my wrist

Takin' all the soda straight, never chase that

Rooftop like we bringin' '88 back

Bring the hooks in, where the bass at?

Soft drink spillin', you should taste that

Chloe rapped, changing some of the not-so kid friendly words. Her rapping was horrible but the kids always enjoyed it.

I'm so fancy

You already know

I'm in the fast lane

From L.A. to Tokyo

I'm so fancy

Can't you taste this gold?

Remember my name

'Bout to blow

Chloe lowered the violin and bowed as the kids laughed and clapped. Chloe was too focused on the class that she didn't notice that Beca had entered behind her and was watching her with a look of admiration matching the look on Tyler's face. The other students had grown accustomed to this and although they were impressed they were no longer amazed by their music teacher.

"Who's next?" Sara raised her hand and Chloe nodded.

"Blank Space, ukulele."

Chloe raised a brow imagining that in her head. That would actually add an interesting mix to the country song. "I like that one, thanks." Chloe grabbed a ukulele, once again checking it was in tune.

Nice to meet you

Where you been?

I could show you incredible things

Magic, madness, heaven, sin

Saw you there and I thought oh my god

Look at that face, you look like my next mistake

Love's a game, wanna play

New money, suit and tie

I can read you like a magazine

Ain't it funny rumors fly

And I know you heard about me

So hey, let's be friends

I'm dying to see how this one ends

Grab your passport and my hand

I could make the bad guys good for a weekend

Chloe started slowly, only playing one note per line but speed up for the pre-chorus.

So it's gonna be forever

Or it's gonna go down in flames

You can tell me when it's over

If the high was worth the pain

Got a long list of ex-lovers

They'll tell you I'm insane

Cause you know I love the players

And you love the game

"Sing with me T-Swift fans," Chloe encouraged as she entered the chorus, the ukulele making the song very cheerful and upbeat. Quite a few girls and some boys started singing along with the music teacher.

Cause we're young and we're reckless

We'll take this way too far

It'll leave you breathless

Or with a nasty scar

Got a long list of ex-lovers

They'll tell you I'm insane

But I got a blank space baby

And I'll write your name

"I liked that one Sara. Good ear. Next?" Tori raised her hand.

"Gangnam Style. Piano."

Chloe mock-glared at the young student. "We are going to have a serious talk later. How long have you been waiting to throw that one at me?"

Tori just laughed in response to Chloe sighed and made her way to the piano, noticing Beca as she turned.

"Oh Beca, hey! Been here long?"

Beca grinned, "Oh yeah, long enough to know that you should never rap."

Chloe shimmied her shoulders, "No need to be jealous of how good I am."

Beca rolled her eyes. "Oh god!"

"Miss Beale?" Chris questioned, causing Chloe to remember she was actually teaching.

"Opps. Sorry angels. Did you bring the phone?" Chloe asked.

"Oh yeah but I'm holding it hostage until I get to hear piano Gangnam Style."

Now it was Chloe's turn to roll her eyes as she sat down at the piano. Chloe cracked her fingers and began the fast-paced song. Beca was surprised that it sounded exactly like the song. Chloe kept playing for a while, choosing not to attempt the Korean and just start with the chorus.

Oppa Gangnam Style

Gangnam Style

Op, op, op, op

Oppa Gangnam Style

Gangnam Style

Op, op, op, op

Oppa Gangnam Style

Eh, pretty lady

Op, op, op, op

Oppa Gangnam Style

Eh, pretty lady

Op, op, op, op

Eh-eh-eh, eh-eh-eh

Chloe leaned back and smirked at Beca who clapped with a grin. "Phone now please," Chloe said as she stood from the bench. Beca held it out by Tyler put up his hand.

"Umm. Yes Tyler?" Chloe questioned.

"I haven't had my turn yet," he reminded.

Beca did her best not to laugh at Chloe's expression. She'd obviously intended to make Beca leave without admitting there were more. "I know but-"

"I wanna hear this," Beca interrupted. "Pick a good one Ty."

This made some of the kids frown at Beca and wonder how she knew both Miss Beale and Tyler.

"Just the way you are. Drums," Tyler grinned, remembering that Chloe had said she'd never mastered the drums.

Chloe winced, regretting that she had shared that with the boy and knowing that all the other students would start using that if she failed. "OK," Chloe said, unsure of how to do this. "Well the drums are now in the soundproof room so let's all try and fit in there." The students jumped straight up and made their way to squish into the room. Chloe fell in beside Beca behind the kids. "Your brother is stone cold… using a secret against me like this."

Beca chuckled quietly. "Better figure something out Miss Beale."

Chloe pushed her way through the students and took a seat at the drums, glaring when Beca gave her brother a thumbs up. Chloe raised the drumsticks but then lowered them again. "Are you sure you want me to ruin this beautiful love song Tyler?"

"I want you to try," Tyler returned.

"More and more like your sister everyday," Chloe muttered but Beca laughed when she heard it.

Chloe quickly tapped the different drum parts in front of her to get an idea of the sound before starting with a beat on the ride cymbal. She added a kick beat for some bass, happy when the tone sounded a lot like the Bruno Mars song.

Ohhhhh ohhhhhh ohhhhhh ohhhhhhh

Chloe moved to continue the beat on the hi-tom and hi-hat, biting her lip for a moment as she lost it but she quickly got it back and increased the speed.

Oh, her eyes, her eyes

Make the stars look like they're not shinin'

Her hair, her hair

Falls perfectly without her trying

She's so beautiful

And I tell her everyday

Yeah

Chloe quickly hit the crash symbol before going back to the hi-hat and hi-tom while continuing to the next verse.

I know, I know

Chloe looked up in surprise when Beca started singing a different song over Just the way you are but her hands kept drumming anyway.

(I was thinking bout her, thinkin bout me)

when I compliment her she won't believe me

(Thinkin bout us, what we gon' be)

it's so, it's so, sad to think that she don't see what I see

But every time she asks me do I look ok,

(Open my eyes yeah, it was only Just A Dream)

(It's only a dream)

I say

At this point the kids were mesmerized and Chloe kept her focus on Beca, not bothering to change up the beat of the drums but keeping it simple.

When I see your face

(So I travelled back, down that road)

(Will she come back, no one knows)

Not a thing that I would change

(I realize yeah, it was only Just A Dream)

Because girl you're amazing, just the way you are

(it was only Just A Dream)

When I see your face

(So I travelled back, down that road)

(Will she come back, no one knows)

Not a thing that I would change

(I realize yeah, it was only Just A Dream)

Because girl you're amazing, just the way you are

(it was only Just A Dream)

Chloe stopped drumming as she sang the next line, Beca finishing with her.

When I see your face

(face)

"That's one of Beca's mixes," Tyler said, interrupting the tension that had grown between the two women and causing Chloe to clear her throat and remind herself she was in a room with 10 year olds and eye sex with a student's sister while she had a boyfriend and was straight (although she was becoming unsure about that) was not a good idea.

"Mixes?" Chloe questioned.

"Yeah it's cool. She mashes songs together to create an even better song," Tyler explained, squeezing his hands together to show mashing.

"I didn't know you did that," Chloe commented.

"Yeah I'll show you sometime," Beca offered.

"Are you Tyler's sister?" Chris asked.

"Umm. Yeah," Beca answered awkwardly as she scratched her neck. Dealing with Tyler was easy because he was her brother but she wasn't keen on non-brother kids.

"Alright angels, it looks like I win again but I'm going to let you have instrument time anyway so go grab your favorite and get started on the next song in your books. I'll be going around to check on you all," Chloe said in her teacherly voice as she handed Tyler the drumsticks, correctly assuming he'd pick the drums. The kids ran from the room and quickly grabbed their favorite instruments and a cacophony of sound filled the room.

"That's horrible," Beca winced when it was just her and Chloe standing at the back of the room again. "How can you stand that?"

Chloe shrugged. "There's a reason I only do it once in a blue moon or take them outside for it."

"Good choice. Well, here is your new phone. I got to pick a silicone case for it so I went with pink because you look like a pink person."

Chloe raised a brow and quickly put the phone into her bag. "And what does a pink person look like?"

"Red hair… bright blue eyes… constantly bubbly attitude."

"You just described me," Chloe frowned.

"That's kinda the point."

"Yeah well you look like a black person," Chloe tried, gesturing at Beca's black clothing.

Beca bit her lip and her face looked pained as she tried not to burst into laughter about how horrible that sounded. Luckily Chloe picked up on it quickly and her eyes widened comically.

"Oh god! Look what you do to me Beca Mitchell! You are a horrible influence!" Chloe whisper yelled, turning red with embarrassment and hoping no students had overheard.

Beca held up her hands. "Don't blame me, that one was all you." Beca glanced at her watch and winced. "And now I'm going to be late for work," she sighed.

Chloe grabbed Beca's wrist to glance at her watch instead of just looking at her own. "You have time," Chloe argued.

"No car, remember? The bus'll take longer."

Chloe tilted her head and thought for a second before pulling out her car keys and handing them over. "Take my car."

"No Chloe I can't-"

"Of course you can. I'm the reason you're going to be late. Besides, I know where you live AND I have your brother, you aren't going to steal it. Just refrain from punching my dash in a fit of road rage, OK?"

Beca sucked in a breath through clenched teeth. "I don't know, I can't always control my rage."

Chloe rolled her eyes and lightly shoved Beca's shoulder. "Just go before you get me into trouble and actually are late."

"OK, OK," Beca turned to leave but spoke over her shoulder. "Thanks for this Chloe, yet again. I'll be back for you guys after tutoring."

Chloe grinned and nodded and watched her go, not noticing Tyler's wide smile at the way they interacted. He gave himself a mission: today Chloe would come inside for dinner and Mariokart.

* * *

"Wow," CR commented as she arrived at the same time as Beca and they got out of their cars next to each other. "Am I paying you more than I think?"

Beca glared at her friend and boss as they walked inside the building. "You are drastically underpaying me actually."

"Then how'd you afford that?" CR asked, pointing over her shoulder.

Beca shrugged, wondering how the topic of Chloe was soon coming up in ever conversation she had with CR. "It's not mine, a friend leant it to me for the day."

CR stopped walking, forcing Beca to turn around to look at her. CR scanned Beca's face for a moment before turning and walking back outside. Beca sighed and dropped her shoulders but followed. She found CR walking around the car and peaking through the windows.

"What are you doing?" Beca groaned.

"A Barden Elementary staff sticker on the back windscreen, a bunch of official looking files on the back seat and a bag with a softball glove. This is the music teacher's car, isn't it?" CR asked.

Beca scratched her neck nervously. "Maybe."

CR raised her brows and whistled. "I'm impressed. In one week you've got this woman giving up most of her free time to tutor Tyler and drive him to and from school and now she's even lending you her car for work. When is the wedding?"

"Cut it out," Beca snapped. "She's just a really great person and she is helping me out."

"Beca I'm your friend. If you ever need anything you can come to me for help."

"You know I don't ask for help."

CR frowned and gestured at the car.

"I don't ask, she offers. She just always seems to know what I need and is always willing to give it without obligations or strings attached. In fact, she's so giving and polite that she makes me feel like I'm doing her the favor," Beca explained. "Like today, her phone got broken so I offered to replace it for her because she had no free time today. I drop it off to her and mention being late and she turns it around so that I'm the good guy for taking her car! She's magic or something."

CR blinked a few times, analyzing her friend's words. "You legit like this chick," CR realized. "Not like a crush or you wanting in her pants but you truly like her."

Beca kicked her toe, avoiding CR's eyes. "Yeah well you'd understand if you met her but she's straight."

"How straight?" CR asked.

"Straight with a boyfriend. What does that question even mean?"

"The Kinsey scale tells us that we all have some gay in us. Oh! Make her take that test," CR suggested but Beca just rolled her eyes and walked back inside, done with discussing her feelings.

* * *

Chloe was organizing the teams for dodge ball when she noticed Tyler sitting by himself on a bench on the edge of the playground with his head down.

"Alright team huddles. Game starts in 5 so get planning!" When all the students were occupied Chloe headed over to Tyler and sat down on the bench next to him. "Dodge ball isn't my favorite sport but it can be pretty fun," Chloe started, not wanting to spook the boy by just asking what was wrong.

"I like dodge ball," Tyler replied in a small voice.

Chloe bit her lip as she considered the next best way to approach this. "Well I know we don't have school tomorrow but it's not reason to be sad," Chloe joked.

This got Tyler to smile slightly. "It's not that either Miss Beale," he said, giving Chloe the opening she needed.

"Then what is it that's making one of my angels skip dodge ball to sit by themselves with a huge frown?"

Tyler sighed and crossed his arms over his chest, something Chloe identified as an attempt to comfort himself. "Chris and Mark were talking about how their mums and dads are coming to the concert and how proud they are."

Chloe felt her heart squeeze and blinked to stop her eyes from watering. She kept in mind what Beca had told her about Tyler never mentioning his parents and decided to take this slowly and just let Tyler speak. "What did you say?"

Tyler shrugged and hugged himself tighter. "Nothing. I lied and told them my parents would be there too. But they won't be and then they will tease me for having no parents and lying about it."

"You do have parents Tyler. Your parents are still here," Chloe tapped Tyler's heart. "And they will be watching you at the concert even if you can't see them."

"You mean from heaven?" Tyler asked. "That's what Jesse told me when they died. He is Beca's best friend. He said that mum and dad were in heaven and they would always be watching me and with me. Do you believe that too?"

"I do. Do you?"

Tyler shrugged. "If they are with me shouldn't I be able to feel them?"

"You don't?"

"No. I was sad when I lost them and I felt really bad but I knew that they loved me and I still had Beca so I was fine. But then Beca seemed sad all the time and I thought I was wrong for not feeling sad anymore because they were my parents and I should have missed them more. So I started acting like I was really sad and soon I just couldn't stop it."

Chloe nodded and lifted Tyler chin so that he would look at her. "However you feel is what you should be feeling. No one else, not even Beca, can tell you how to feel or judge you. You not being sad doesn't mean you miss them or love them any less, OK? It's OK to be happy again Tyler and it's OK for Beca to be happy again."

"She is being happy again. She started smiling for the first time on Monday after meeting you so that's why I can stop being bad in school, 'cause you made her better again."

Chloe couldn't stop the tears that fell at Tyler's words but she quickly wiped them away, taking some of her makeup off with them. She hadn't had a clue that she'd affected the family so much. "Well you both make me smile as well," Chloe admitted, realizing that Beca and Tyler's involvement in her life was just as impacting as hers in theirs.

Tyler frowned as his eyes focused on Chloe's cheek, noticing a blue-grey mark across the bone. He tapped it lightly with a finger. "What's that?"

Chloe's eyes widened as she realized her makeup must have come off and uncovered the mark. She placed a hand over it to hide it from view. "It's nothing. I did it yesterday at softball training," Chloe lied.

"Oh. OK," Tyler accepted.

"How about you go join the grade 5 team so we can get started? I'll be there in a sec."

Tyler nodded and jumped off the bench, heading straight for his new friends as Chloe snuck inside to reapply her makeup.

* * *

"Have you set up your new phone?" Beca asked as Chloe drove them home.

"No, not yet. I'm not very good at that sort of stuff so I might get Aubrey to do it for me tomorrow or something."

"Beca can do it for you," Tyler volunteered from the backseat.

"Yeah I can do it," Beca agreed. "It shouldn't take long if you just want to come up quickly."

Tyler could see Chloe about to say no again and wracked his brain to think of something else he could try to push her. "Also you promised to play Mariokart with me some day soon. Why not today?"

Chloe chewed her lip as she considered it. She hadn't actually had a chance to ask Aubrey to come over for a movie night and Tom was out of town. She was caught up on planning so she was completely free. "Well if you're sure it's alright."

Tyler beamed and nodded and Beca grinned. "Yeah of course. Once we have you of course, you won't be leaving until you've tried the classic Mitchell Friday night dinner, right Ty?"

"Yep!"

"Oh? And what's that?" Chloe laughed, liking being included in a family tradition.

"Leftover night!" Beca and Tyler cheered.

* * *

"And you are all set up," Beca said as she tapped on the screen. "Your old simcard is working so you still have all your contacts. There's just one thing…"

"What?"

Beca held up the phone and quickly took a picture. She looked at what she'd taken and scrunched her nose before raising it again. "Smile this time."

"I would have smiled last time but you didn't even give me a chance!" Chloe defended.

"Stop whining and show me your pearly whites," Beca ordered.

Chloe did as she was asked and gave Beca her best smile. Beca frowned at the image again, not liking the forced smile. "Something is missing… Tyler!" Beca yelled at her brother who was working on his homework at the table while she sat with Chloe on the couch. "Come here kid."

Tyler dropped his pencil straight away and walked over to Beca. "What?"

Beca pulled him down into the small space between herself and Chloe and held the camera out again, this time facing her to include all three of them. "Smile." They smiled and she clicked. "Chloe your head is cut off, move closer."

Chloe laughed and scooted even closer so that her cheek was millimeters away from Beca's and Tyler's was beneath their chins. "Goofy grins," Beca ordered, snapping as soon as everyone pulled a face. "Oh I like that. One more though, nice this time." Beca took a final picture and grinned at the result. All three smiles looked genuine and they looked like an actual family. "That's a keeper." Beca immediately texted herself the picture as well as the other ones she'd taken, including the ones of Chloe by herself. "Ty! Go finish your homework!" Beca mock-yelled causing both Chloe and Tyler to roll their eyes but Tyler went back to his homework straight away anyway.

"Thanks Bec," Chloe said as Beca handed the phone over.

Beca smiled at the nickname. "No problems. Oh did you want me to show you my mixes?" Beca offered.

"Yes please," Chloe grinned, happily following the brunette into her room where the laptop was.

Beca scanned her songs for a few moments before picking one of her favorites, an attempt to mix old with new and she was more than proud. Beca handed her headphones over to Chloe so she could listen and entertained herself by watching and analyzing Chloe's very emotive face. First her eyes widened. Surprise maybe. Then she bobbed her head, liking it. Then suddenly she bit her lip and her eyelids drooped… Beca frowned and glanced at her laptop, trying to figure out what part of the song created that reaction and seeing it was when Titanium started. Chloe listened to the entire song, her face dancing just as much as her body. Once it finished she slipped the headphones down around her neck, making no effort to give them back.

"That was…"

Beca held her breath waiting for what word Chloe would use. Great? Horrible? Surprising?

"Titanium!" Chloe's eyes were wide with excitement.

"Umm. Yeah. You know David Guetta?"

"I'm a music teacher."

"Stupid question, sorry."

"That song is my jam. My lady jam," Chloe winked, her voice sounding very much like a purr.

"That's nice," Beca responded awkwardly. Had Chloe really just said that?

"It is. The song really builds."

Beca gulped. Chloe was torturing her.

"Can I hear more?" Chloe asked.

"Is that safe? I have no clue how many more lady jams I have on here," Beca joked, trying to use humor to relieve the very real tension she was feeling.

Chloe laughed and moved the headphones back to her ears, looking at Beca expectantly.

Beca heaved a sigh but put another song on for the ginger. She stood awkwardly for a moment before remembering something CR had mentioned earlier. She picked up her laptop, with Chloe still attached, and walked over to her bedside table to that she could sit and look something up while Chloe was preoccupied with swaying to her music.

 _Age. 22._

 _Gender. Female._

Beca smirked at some of the questions but answered the test quickly and grinned when she received exclusively homosexual as a result. Nothing but gay for Beca. Of course Beca was too proud of herself to notice that the song had stopped playing and Chloe was peaking at the screen.

"What's that?" she asked.

Beca blushed and turned the laptop so Chloe could see it better. "A friend from work mentioned there was a quiz to see how gay you are."

"Doesn't that assume that everyone is gay?" Chloe questioned Beca's explaination.

"Nah. It looks like there's this scale from zero to six and everyone falls on it."

"I want to do it!" Chloe grinned, looking at Beca expectantly.

"OK. Umm… age?"

"24."

"Gender?"

"Really Beca?"

Beca smirked and glanced blatantly at Chloe's breasts. "Very female. I have never felt sexual desire."

"No I have. Often."

"This is a true or false type of thing."

"False."

"I can't decide what sex I am attracted to more."

"False."

"I find the idea of having sex with another woman repulsive."

Chloe swallowed but Beca saw the way she glanced at her before answering. "False."

Beca smirked. "I wouldn't want to die without having experimented sexually with both men and women."

"I change my mind. I don't want to do this."

Beca laughed and nudged Chloe's shoulder with her own. "Too late. You can finish it yourself or I can make up the answers. But be honest, OK?"

Chloe huffed. "Fine. True."

Beca's smirk returned at the suggestion that Chloe was at least somewhat curious. "I have no interest in sexual intercourse with anyone."

"False."

"The gender composition of an orgy would be irrelevant to my decision to participate."

Chloe frowned. "That's a weird way to phrase that question. I would never be involved in an orgy but that's not because they're all men or women."

"So false. I avoid watching lesbian pornography."

"I don't avoid it but I don't watch it. I don't watch any porn."

"Liar. I'm gonna say false again. I can be sexually attracted to anyone in the right circumstances."

Chloe tilted her head. "I don't know."

"Who is someone who are definitely not attracted to?"

"Aubrey."

"OK. So it's Valentine's day and someone sends you a ticket to Paris and arranges to meet you at the Eiffel Tower. You find Aubrey on one knee with wine and roses. Are you attracted?"

"No. Although I would never have pegged you as a total romantic."

"My friend Jesse forces movies on me. I'm gonna say false again. I have always been extremely confident in my sexual orientation."

Chloe blinked. She had been but not so much anymore. "True," she lied.

Beca's smirk drop but she continued anyway. "I find women more attractive than men."

Well Beca was more attractive than Tom. "False." Another lie.

"I would find a threesome with a couple awkward specifically because of the presence of the woman."

"That's like the orgy question. No threesomes but not because of the woman."

"False then. I am only attracted to women."

"False."

"I am sexually submissive."

Beca frowned as Chloe's entire face seemed to quiver with the question. "False." Her voice was small as she told her third lie.

Beca clicked score. "Congrats, you're straight." But Beca didn't mean it.

"Beca! Can you come check my homework so I can play with Miss Beale!" Tyler yelled from the other room.

"Coming!" Beca yelled back, leaving Chloe with a small smile as she left the redhead in the room.

Chloe slowly moved to the laptop and stared at the screen. She could hear Beca and Tyler talking in the other room, preoccupied. She clicked back and changed her three answers. 4, was her new result, predominantly homosexual, but more than incidentally heterosexual. She closed the laptop and left the bedroom.

* * *

"Ha! Take that!" Chloe cheered as she passed Tyler at the finish line and took first place.

Tyler dropped his Wii remote and pouted. "You're mean," he sulked.

Chloe felt bad… for a second… "Can't handle the heat Mitchell?" she teased.

Tyler looked at her shocked; more accustomed to Jesse and Beca either letting him win or apologizing when they beat him. He opened his mouth to reply but his sister beat him to it.

"Once you've finished getting your kicks beating on kids less than half your age dinner is ready you bully."

Chloe stuck her tongue out but walked towards Beca in the kitchen with Tyler close behind her. "And what is this?" Chloe asked as she glanced at the array of food in front of her and accepted the plate Beca handed over.

"It kinda became a thing when we first moved here. We kept wasting a tone of food so we started leftover Fridays. It's actually saved me a lot of money, surprisingly," Beca explained.

"That's not really surprising. There is a real waste problem in not only America but-"

"OK Miss Beale, if I promise to eat my greens will I get dessert?" Beca teased.

"And you call me the bully. Any rules with this or is it a grab what you want sort of thing?"

"You need to pick three different things, at least, and your plate needs to be full," Tyler explained as he scooped some beef stew on top of his chicken stir-fry."

Beca and Chloe scrunched their noses at his plate. "That's disgusting kid," Beca commented.

Tyler just shrugged and headed to the table. Chloe filled her plate with the Caesar salad and chicken stir-fry but Beca added a pizza to the top of it because it seemed too healthy. Chloe took a small bite of her pizza and realized that it had a coating of stir-fry sauce underneath it but it tasted fantastic. Much to Beca's horror she decided to add more stir-fry to her pizza.

"What are you doing you freak? You are eating like a ten year old!" Beca critisied.

"Hey!" Tyler cried, offended, but then he decided to add stir-fry to his pizza as well. "Yum."

"Gross."

"No it really is good Beca, you should try it."

"Darn, I don't have stir-fry," Beca smirked at her good fortune but Chloe quickly leaned across and shoved her pizza in Beca's face, not only forcing Beca to try it but also leaving an oily, brown circle around Beca's mouth. Beca looked unimpressed when Chloe pulled back and started laughing. "It's all over my face isn't it?"

Chloe and Tyler nodded and started laughing harder.

"That's fine. Totally fine." Beca moved quickly, standing and stepping towards Chloe and wiping her mouth on the shoulder of Chloe's shirt.

"Beca!" Chloe cried, trying to push the brunette away but laughing too hard to actually have any effect.

When Beca's face was clean she pulled away and sat down with a smirk.

Chloe looked down at her favourite white button-up shirt but found she couldn't be angry when she was actually having so much fun. "Thanks for this Beca," she sighed but Beca could hear she didn't mean it.

"It suits you," Beca returned, but then she felt bad about ruining Chloe's shirt. "Take it off and I'll clean it."

Chloe raised a brow. "This seems like a very elaborate way to get me naked," she joked.

Beca mock-gasped and clapped her hands over Tyler's ears, surprising the boy who hadn't really understood the joke. "Innocent ears!"

Chloe laughed again, realizing she was laughing more tonight than she had for the last few years with Tom. "Does Tyler have a shirt I can borrow?"

Beca frowned. "Tyler? Borrow one of mine."

Chloe tried to keep her face straight. "I think I'm more likely to fit his."

Beca glared and uncovered one of Tyler's ears to grab a piece of beef from his plate and throw it at Chloe, where it hit her shirt and left another circle of mess.

"You are a fantastic influence for you brother," Chloe deadpanned as she picked the food from her skirt.

"Yeah well so are you," Beca replied back, maturely.

Chloe laughed. "So do you have a shirt I can borrow or not?"

"Yeah sure, come with me," Beca said as she stood and started walking to her room.

"I was talking to Tyler," Chloe joked, causing Beca to glare again as they walked into her bedroom.

Tyler, alone at the table, blinked a few times and shook his head as he continued to eat.

* * *

"Let's watch a movie!" Tyler cheered after Chloe had changed and dinner had been finished and cleared away.

Chloe glanced at her watch. "Sorry angel, I should start heading home," she said through a yawn.

"No way am I letting you drive home," Beca stated. "You've been yawning like crazy and I will not be responsible for killing Tyler's favorite teacher. And I'd kinda miss you too."

Chloe grinned. "Kinda?"

"Yeah. Like a growth that just attaches itself to your life but you get used to it and miss it when the doctor removes it," Beca smirked.

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I have no idea why you're single. You are soooo smooth."

Tyler's eyes moved back and forth between the two like he was watching a tennis match. He loved it but after a full afternoon and night of constant banter he wasn't entirely sure where the energy came from. "Chloe you can pick the movie," Tyler announced as he took a seat on the old couch.

Chloe's mouth dropped and she looked at Beca. 'I never said I'd stay,' she mouthed.

Beca shrugged. 'So you want to break that poor boy's heart?' she mouthed back with a grin.

Chloe rolled her eyes and dropped her shoulders, giving in. She crouched as she looked at the DVD stand beside the TV, moving straight to the Disney section which didn't surprise Beca in the slightest. She turned, still crouched, with a large smile and holding The Little Mermaid but her smile dropped when she saw the reactions of Beca and Tyler. "What did I do?" she asked.

"That was mum's favorite," Tyler explained.

"She said that the most beautiful people in the world would have red hair and blue eyes. She was determined to meet one, like they were rare animals or something," Beca added.

Chloe nodded, not commenting on that fact that she was a redhead with blue eyes and swapped the movie for Beauty and the Beast. Beca and Tyler had taken the two couch ends so Chloe was forced to sit between them. Her head started rocking and her eyes started drooping during Be Our Guest and she was completely asleep with her head on Beca's shoulder by the time Something There started playing.

Beca smiled softly and looped an arm over the redhead to draw her closer to her side. This was a great day.

* * *

The movie finished and Tyler headed straight to bed, Beca promising to be in soon to tuck him in. Beca shook Chloe's shoulder lightly to wake her but startled when Chloe jolted awake and cried, "Don't do it Tom." Chloe blinked owlishly a few times before focusing on Beca. "Oh. Sorry," she said sheepishly.

"Thanks OK," Beca said, internally adding Chloe's words to her growing list of 'There's something Chloe is hiding'. "My bony shoulder is pretty comfy but it's time to get you to an actual bed."

"No I'll just sleep on the couch."

Beca raised a brow. "This couch?"

"Sure."

"Chloe. Your head and legs would hang over the ends and this couch is oddly sticky and I'm pretty sure it doesn't even have pillows but some sort of super uncomfortable thing in it."

Chloe giggled. "Then why did you buy it?"

"The price was right. Free. We are adults and friends; we can share a bed. We are friends, right?"

"Yeah. We are."

"Alright, c'mon then. It's cool that I bite in my sleep right?" Beca asked over her shoulder as they headed to Beca's room and was rewarded with Chloe's musical laugh.

"No. That's not alright but I sleep-karate."

"Sleep-karate?"

"Like sleep walking but violent."

"Can't wait."

* * *

 **A/N: As always, let me know what you think. Peace.**


	5. Homerun

**A/N: Hey guys! This is a tiny bit like a filler chapter but something pretty important happens between all the relationship progression. I'm gonna give you a heads up here, like I did in Fight Song, that the next two chapters are going to be big and intense. The concert will be happening with both Beca and Tom in attendance and Chloe's life will get a bit harder before it gets better.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect.**

* * *

Beca rolled over and saw something beautiful. Chloe's bare face was facing her own and even with her bright blue eyes closed she was stunning. Even with the… bruise on her face. Beca frowned and moved a little closer to get a better look at it. It was definitely a bruise over her cheekbone. Beca's eyes traced the outline. It looked very much like a handprint.

Bright blue eyes blinked open slowly and focused on the face right in front of her. "Hey. Do you creep on all your friends like this?" Chloe asked, her voice rough from the last of use and early morning.

"What's this," Beca asked, reaching out a finger and tapping Chloe's cheek exactly as Tyler had done the day before.

Chloe blinked and rolled onto her back so that Beca couldn't see that side of her face anymore. "I got hit at softball."

Beca chewed her lip. She had been watching pretty closely and she knew Chloe hadn't been hurt. She had also been the one with Chloe after the game and if she'd been hit hard enough to cause a bruise like that then it would have been there that afternoon, which meant whatever happened either happened Friday morning or Thursday night… when her phone was 'dropped'. "It looks like a hand."

"That's strange. Must be from my glove or something."

"Chloe-"

"Thanks for letting me stay over last night but I should probably get home and start working. The softball game is tomorrow so I want to have everything sorted by then."

"You should stay for breakfast," Beca tried, slightly hurt at the brush off.

"I need to get groceries so I'll just get something on the way home." Chloe stood and grabbed her clothes. "Can I wash these and give them to Tyler to get to you on Monday?"

"Or you could just give them to me on Monday."

"Right. Sure." Chloe walked to the door of the room but turned back for a moment. "I had a lot of fun last night Beca. It was really nice."

"Yeah it was."

Chloe's smile seemed sad as she left and it made Beca desperate to reach out and force her to talk but she didn't. She heard the front door click closed and grabbed her phone from the nightstand, calling a familiar number.

"Becaw! I didn't know you knew there were two 9 o'clocks on a weekend," Jesse answered,

"Shut it. Dude, are you busy today?"

"Actually I am. I'm-"

"Cool so can you come over?" Beca cut him off, not really caring what he'd had planned for the day. So what, she wouldn't be winning any friendship awards.

"Oh sure Bec, I'll just cancel my entire day to jump at your demands," Jesse said sarcastically.

"Leave the sarcasm to me. It's… it's actually pretty important," Beca admitted.

"Oh. Well sure. I can be there in an hour," Jesse said seriously.

"Thanks Jess. See you soon."

Beca hung up the phone and made her way into Tyler's room where he was still sleeping, something he'd picked up from his bed sister. She decided the best way to wake him was to kick the foot of his bed. He awoke with a start.

"Bec?"

"Hey kid. Get dressed. Jesse is gonna be here soon," Beca explained.

"Why? Where's Miss Beale?" Tyler asked.

"She had to go home and do some work."

Tyler's face fell and he fell back in bed. "I feel sick. Can I just stay in bed today."

Beca sighed and rubbed her face, feeling sorry for Tyler and more than a little upset with Chloe. "Sure kid. Just yell if you need anything, OK? You want me to bring in some breakfast?"

"No thanks," Tyler responded, rolling onto his side to face the wall.

Beca shook her head but left the room to shower and get herself dressed.

* * *

"Best friend at your service," Jesse announced as he walked through the door. "And bonus, I brought a new movie for my apprentice." Jesse glanced around the room. "Where is Jesse Jr?"

"Sick," Beca answered shortly as Jesse took a seat across the table from her.

"Really? What's he got?"

"A case of didn't-say-bye-itis."

"Never heard of it."

Beca sighed. "It's a long story but he'll be fine."

"So… what's up? You seem even more down than usual," Jesse asked sympathetically.

"Can I ask you a hypothetical?" Jesse nodded. "Say I know this person who seems happy all the time and goes out of their way to do absolutely anything for other people at great personal cost."

"Sounds like a good person."

"Yeah but sometimes they get this thing where their smile or their laugh is fake like they don't want to admit how they really feel about something. What do you think that is?" Beca questioned.

Jesse scratched his head. "I'm not really sure Bec. Are we talking about you here?"

"Do I seem like a person who is happy all the time?" Beca snapped, irritated that he wasn't helping.

"Calm down Bec, I was just asking to get more information. All I can say is that it sounds like this person is hiding something pretty big that they can't talk about for some reason."

"What reason?"

"How could I know? Have you noticed anything else?" Jesse asked.

Beca scratched her neck, wondering if she should reveal everything.

"You called me here for my advice Beca and I can't help you if you don't tell me the full story," Jesse pushed.

"When I woke her up she got scared at first and said something like 'Don't do it Tom' because she realised where she was."

"She?" Jesse asked softly.

Beca nodded. "And then I noticed she had this bruise on her face, shaped like a hand. I asked her what happened and she said it was training at softball but I know it wasn't because I was there and I would have seen it."

"Are we talking about Tyler's teacher?"

Beca clenched her jaw. "Jesse, stop asking questions and fucking help me out here. I care about her and I'm worried. This isn't my thing, you know that, so just… help me."

"Does she have a boyfriend?"

"Yes."

Jesse didn't need to say anything more because he could tell Beca was thinking the exact same thing he was. "Have you met him?" Beca shook her head and clenched her fists, feeling her blood boil as she imagined some man intentionally hitting Chloe. "Don't jump to conclusions Beca," Jesse warned as he reached out a hand to cover her fist. "It might sound like that but unless she has said something or you know for sure then you can't do anything."

Beca stood, her chair falling backwards as she did. "I will fucking do something! If that prick is hurting Chloe then-"

"Who's hurting Chloe?" Tyler's innocent voice came from the hallway.

Beca spun and forced her body to relax. "No one buddy, Miss Beale is fine."

Tyler's face became angry; he knew he was being lied to. "Don't lie! You just said someone is hurting her. Who is hurting her? And why are you letting them?"

"Tyler," Jesse tried, standing and walking towards the boy so he could bend down to the same level. "We aren't lying to you Tyler. Miss Beale hasn't said anything about being hurt. If someone is hurting your teacher then Beca will make it stop. OK?"

Tyler seemed to think it over. "You promise?" He asked Beca.

Beca's eyes burnt with a passion that Jesse hadn't even seen when it came to music and her face hardened. "I promise."

Tyler accepted her answer and nodded. "Can we call Miss Beale? I never got to say goodbye."

Beca chewed her lip. If probably wasn't a good idea to call the redhead right now, considering the mood Beca was in and the fact that for all she knew Chloe could be with Tom right now. That last thought changed her mind. "Sure buddy, let me grab my phone." Beca walked into her room and decided to call and talk first before she'd hand the phone over. The phone rang for a while and Beca thought maybe Chloe wouldn't answer and almost hung up when she heard Chloe voice.

"Beca?"

"Hey pretty face," Beca replied lightly.

Chloe laughed. "Hi. I'm sorry if it was weird to just run out this morning. I just remembered everything I need to do and had a slight teacher panic. Also I realised I'd totally just slept with a parent."

Beca felt some of the weight on her chest lift. Chloe sounded fine. "That's OK. Although you aren't Tyler favourite person right now. You didn't say bye."

"No!" Chloe gasped. "I feel horrible. I'm so sorry Beca."

"He wants to talk to you."

"Sure! Put him on."

Beca pouted, glad Chloe couldn't see. "Me first."

Chloe laughed again. "You know I love you two evenly," Chloe joked but Beca smiled anyway.

"No. I don't know that. What are you doing tonight?"

"Hanging out with Aubrey," Chloe replied.

Beca scrunched her nose. "Aubrey is the principal, right? You mention her a lot, are you two friends?"

"Yeah she's my best friend. We've known each other for years."

"You make bad choices with friends," Beca commented.

"Says someone I chose as a friend," Chloe returned.

Beca laughed. "Yeah alright. So… no Tom then?" Beca questioned, hoping it sounded natural.

"No. Tom is away on business until Monday. Why?"

Beca panicked and quickly rushed out of her room and over to Tyler. "No reason. Here's Tyler." Beca basically through the phone at the boy. "It's Chloe."

Tyler beamed and moved the phone to his hear. "Hi Miss Beale!" Tyler glanced at his sister as he listened to whatever it was Chloe was saying. "Yeah she looks red. What's flustered mean?... Yeah she's flustered too… Why'd you need to leave so early?... Can you come back later?... Can we go to your game?... OK Miss Beale… Do you want to talk to Beca again?... OK. Bye Miss Beale, see you tomorrow." Tyler grinned and hung up the phone, causing Beca to pout again.

She took her phone back. "She didn't want to talk to me again?"

"She said to tell you 'creepers don't get phone rights' because you watched her sleeping."

Beca turned red and Jesse barked a laugh. "Did you say we'd see her tomorrow?"

"She said we could go see her game."

"I'll bring the orange slices!" Jesse volunteered, causing Beca and Tyler to direct twin eye rolls at the goofy man.

* * *

"No more movies!" Beca groaned hours later. Jesse and Tyler had insisted on a full day of movies and now it was dark and they were still going strong.

"One more," Tyler begged with pleading eyes.

Beca groaned again but Tyler took that as approval. He and Jesse began searching through the DVDs to decide which one to watch next. Tyler stopped when he came across The Little Mermaid and it pulled it out. "Beca," he said. "Miss Beale has red hair and blue eyes."

Beca swallowed and Jesse glanced between the two. He had been on the receiving end of many mother Mitchell speeches about the beauty of red hair mixed with blue eyes as they were both recessive genes and to be so lucky meant you must be a gift from god.

"Yeah. She does."

"Do you think mum sent her to us?" Tyler asked.

Beca chewed her lip. "Maybe buddy. You know mum always liked being right. I think she'd get a real kick out of finding out how nice Chloe is."

Tyler grinned and looked at the movie once more. "We should watch this with Miss Beale next time," he said as he put the movie back and picked out a different one for them to watch.

Beca fiddled with her phone for a few minutes as they got the movie started and settled on the couch before deciding to just go ahead and text the redhead.

* * *

Chloe looked up from painting her toenails on the couch when her phone vibrated. It was on the kitchen counter and she couldn't get it without messing up her toes.

"Bree!" Chloe called out to her friend who had just gone to the bathroom. "Can you get my phone for me? I have wet toes."

Aubrey rolled her eyes as she entered the room but grabbed the phone and handed it to Chloe, luckily without looking. She quickly opened the message from Beca.

Beca: This is torture. Jesse and Tyler ganged up on me and have forced me to waste my entire day away one movie at a time.

Chloe shook her head at the brunette's dramatics.

Chloe: If only you had your own room to escape to or your own free will.

Chloe didn't even have time to put her phone down when a reply came through. She laughed when she opened a picture of a grumpy looking Beca sitting between Tyler and another man who seemed very focused on the screen.

Beca: What are you doing? Help me.

Chloe reached her arm out to take a photo that included both her face and toes.

Chloe: Girl's night. Sorry.

Another reply came through immediately.

Beca: Do girls really have nights where they stay in with friends and paint their toenails?

Chloe laughed.

Chloe: Aren't you a girl?

Beca: Wanna check?

Chloe: Stop perving on me with your brother right next to you!

Beca: So I can perve on you if I go to my room?

Chloe: I'm going to put you on a timeout if you're not careful.

Beca: Sounds kinky. I promise to be good Miss Beale ;p

Chloe: Good. Cause I'd hate to have to discipline you.

Beca: I change my mind. I'm bad. Very bad.

Chloe glanced up from her phone when she heard a very judgemental clearing of a throat. Aubrey was scowling at her.

"Who are you texting?"

"A friend."

"Beca Mitchell?"

"She's just a friend Aubrey."

"She's a parent of a student Chloe."

Chloe sighed and picked her phone back up.

Chloe: Sorry Beca, you need to entertain yourself now. Principal Posen is getting angry. See you tomorrow xx

Chloe locked her phone and reached out to put it on the coffee table. "There. Happy now?"

Aubrey glared at her friend and turned her attention to the TV.

* * *

Beca awoke early with the alarm, wanting to get ready and go so they could get good seats at the softball game. Although exactly when some lame teacher softball game between two primary schools became so important to her she wasn't exactly sure. Tyler wasn't in his room when she went to wake him but she found him working on something at the table.

"You're up early," Beca commented as she walked up behind him.

"I wanted to make this," Tyler replied as he turned in his chair and proudly lifted what he'd been working on. He hadn't been able to find any cardboard so it was six pieces of paper glued together by their sides. He'd used his paints to write 'Go Miss Beale!' over the paper in Barden Blue.

Beca's insides clenched at how completely adorable it was. "Chloe is going to love that buddy."

Tyler grinned and turned back around to add a picture of a redheaded stick figure holding a bat.

"Actually," Beca said suddenly, "I think we need to do something else as well."

Beca quickly went to her and Tyler's rooms and grabbed the plain white shirts before returning to Tyler.

"What do you say we make ourselves fan shirts?" Beca suggested.

"Like the ones with the numbers and names?" Tyler questioned.

"Yep. Chloe was wearing number 7 on Thursday wasn't she?"

Tyler nodded and pushed away his poster to get started on creating the shirts.

* * *

"Hey, hey," Jesse said as he walked through the door. Beca and Tyler had given him permission to come to the game purely because he had a working car and refused to let Beca borrow it. Of course they hadn't said the same to Fat Amy and CR who also walked through the door behind him. "I hope you don't mind. I mentioned our outing to these guys and they decided to tag along and-what are you wearing?" Jesse said, laughing when he saw Beca and Tyler wearing the matching Beale shirts.

"Fan shirts!" Tyler cheered, not realising he was being made fun of. "We made them ourselves. Do you think Miss Beale will like them?"

"How could she not," CR replied, trying to reign in her own laugh at seeing her employee and friend dressed like a dork, willingly.

"Shut it, all of you. Why are you even here?" Beca levelled them all with her best glare.

"Dork boy mentioned it and we needed to see it to believe it. You just made me believe in body possessions," Amy joked.

"I said shut it. And you guys are not coming," Beca ordered.

"It's not about you," CR said with a smirk. "We want to meet the famous teacher that made Tyler love school again, right Ty?"

"I want you to meet her!" Tyler cheered, looking more and more like his old goofy self. "We need to go now so we can see her before the game though, right Bec?" Tyler pleaded.

Beca dropped her shoulders and sighed. "If any of you say anything embarrassing I will end you," Beca threatened.

"Naw c'mon B-Mitch," CR said as she looped a hand around Beca's shoulder and dragged her out of the apartment. "It's gonna be fun."

* * *

"Alright team," Stacie said as she stood in front of the Barden Bellas, the Barden staff softball team. "If you win this for me today then drinks after are on me."

"We're not having drinks after this," Aubrey corrected.

"Fine," Stacie huffed. "Sodas after this will be on me. Now, go a take a lap."

"No!" Aubrey yelled before they could. "Stretches first Stacie." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "Why did I decide to let you control this team this year?"

"Because of my fantastic persuasive techniques?" Stacie guessed, squeezing her arms together and drawing her boss' attention to her… assets.

"Just… stretch." Aubrey shook her head, her cheeks pink.

Stacie winked as she leaned over straightaway, giving Aubrey another, just as pleasing view. Aubrey forced her eyes away quickly and spotted something approaching the bleachers than made her frown. She stopped over to Chloe, casting a shadow over the stretching redhead and tapping her foot expectantly.

"Yes Aubrey," Chloe sighed as she straightened. Aubrey may be her best friend but after another lecture about her relationship with Beca last night Chloe didn't have much patience for her today.

"What is that?" Aubrey snapped, pointing a finger towards the seats.

"What?" Chloe asked as she turned to look. A smile covered her face when she saw it. "That is-"

"Ridiculous! Chloe it's bad enough you doing this in private but-"

"Aubrey! I am not doing anything wrong! And there are tonnes of students and parents here to cheer for us. I honestly don't think one of my students holding a poster and wearing a shirt is a big deal," Chloe argued, not being able to hide her joy at the sight and desperately wanting to run over to the fence and say hello.

"Chloe you know-"

"No Aubrey I don't know. All last year I had students turning up with posters. Hell, we all did at one point or another. So now I am going to go over there and say hi, in public, with everyone watching me," Chloe stated as she started jogging away from her friend and towards the fence.

* * *

"Which one is she?" Amy asked as they walked up to the bleachers, grabbing a spot right at the front behind the home plate so they could get the best view.

"That one," Tyler said as he pointed to a stretching redhead.

"And who's that?" CR asked as they watched a blonde walk over to Chloe and start gesturing their way.

Beca rolled her eyes. "That's the principal, Aubrey Posen. She's also Chloe's best friend but she seems like a total bitch."

"She's coming," Jesse cut in.

Beca smiled, an honest happy smile that Amy, Jesse and CR hadn't seen in years. Beca walked up to Chloe at the fence, Tyler at her side, and jammed her hands into her pockets to stop herself from reaching out and placing a hand over Chloe's that was gripping the fence.

"Styling," Chloe grinned.

"I made them," Tyler beamed. "Do you like them?"

Chloe bent down, as best she could behind the fence. "I love them. Thank you so much for making them. I hope you're going to wear them to all my games from now on."

Tyler nodded his head excitedly and held up his poster so that Chloe could see that too.

"Oh cool! Look at me with the bat! You know what? First hit I get is for you angel."

"What about me?" Beca pouting, half joking.

Chloe rolled her eyes but kept looking at Tyler. "I think your sister is jealous that I like you more than her."

Tyler giggled, a sweet sound that warmed Beca's heart and made her OK with Chloe making fun of her.

Chloe straightened and winked at Beca. "Second hit is all yours, OK?"

"Nuh. I want a homerun."

Chloe sighed and shook her head. "You are much too high maintenance for me." Chloe glanced at the people standing awkwardly a little behind Beca and Tyler. "Are these friends of yours or should I call security?" Chloe joked.

"They're acquaintances," Beca deadpanned. "The goofy guy is Jesse, the Aussie is Amy and the one with the pink hair is my boss CR."

"Hi Jesse, Amy and CR!" Chloe yelled out so that the three could hear her. "I'm Chloe, Tyler's teacher."

"That's not all you are," Amy joked back which caused Chloe to tilt her head in confusion.

"She means you're a star softball player," Beca covered quickly. CR and Jesse were well aware of her more than platonic feelings for the teacher and she could only assume one of them had told Amy. Beca had met Amy and Jesse at the radio station. Jesse had moved on and was now a lowly intern working at a production company where he dreamed to score movies one day. Amy's humour had promoted her quickly to the night shift at the station and she had people tuning in daily just to listen to her outrageous stories.

"Oh. OK. Well I should be getting back," Chloe said, pointing over her shoulder to a glaring Aubrey and the rest of her team who had begun doing a lap around the field.

"Oh. OK. Bye," Beca said awkwardly.

"Wait for me after the game!" Chloe yelled back as she jogged away.

Beca returned to her seat with a grin on her face.

* * *

Beca and Tyler didn't really have a great understanding of softball but they cheered every time that Chloe came to bat or touched the ball. At the end of the game Chloe had caught four people out and thrown six outs. Much to Beca's pleasure she had also scored two homeruns as was on base on all her other turns at bat. Chloe had even pointed at Beca and Tyler after her first home run. Soon a slightly sweaty and dirty but still stunning Chloe was walking out of the field and over to Beca, Tyler and their friends.

"Great game!" Tyler cheered and jumped up to wrap his arms around Chloe's waist for a quick hug.

"Ditto," Beca added, standing but not being as confident as her brother to hug the redhead. Chloe helped her out though and pulled her in for a much-to-quick embrace. "Congrats on the win. You guys did win, right? I don't know much about this game but it seemed like you guys were getting cheered more than the other team."

Chloe laughed. "Yes we won, but I'm pretty sure most of that cheering was coming from you guys," Chloe said, including everyone in her comment. "Even when I hit a foul ball which was interesting."

Beca just shrugged. "What are you up to now?"

"The team likes to go out for burgers after the games to either celebrate or commiserate."

"What's commiserate?" Tyler asked.

"Cheer ourselves up if we lose," Chloe explained seamlessly. "You guys a more than welcome to come. Stacie, our dance teacher and coach, offered to buy sodas for my cheer squad."

"Sure," Beca answered quickly, not wanting to give anyone else the chance to decline. "We'll meet you there."

"Sounds good. See you soon." Chloe smiled and jogged away, heading for a brunette woman and someone Beca recognised as Tyler's class teacher.

* * *

"Hi again," Chloe greeted as she slid in the booth next to Beca. Beca, Jesse, Tyler, CR and Amy had arrived first and grabbed the biggest booth. Amy, CR and Tyler were on one side with Jesse and Beca on the other.

"Hey. Sorry we could find a bigger table or anything. I understand if you want to sit with your team," Beca said, hiding her delight that Chloe had sat next to her straight away. They were close enough that their entire sides were touching and Beca never wanted the feeling to stop.

"Nuh," Chloe said waving a hand. "We always invite families to these things and spread out through the entire diner. I guess you will count as my family for the day," Chloe joked, smiling at Tyler across the table who looked overjoyed at her comment.

A comfortable silence fell over the table for a moment as they looked over their menus.

"Damn Chloe they don't have your favourite. Maybe you can ask for stir-fry on pizza?" Beca smirked.

Chloe nudged her with her shoulder. "Well they have plenty of boring things for you old lady so don't worry. Oh look! Oatmeal. Eat up grandma."

Tyler laughed, understanding the reference to their earlier dinner but everyone else looked confused.

"Chloe. We hear you've done great things with our little rebel," CR complimented.

Chloe waved the praise away. "Tyler was always a great kid. I just listened to him." Chloe winked at the boy and got another grin in reply. "So how do you all know Beca?"

"These flatbutts all work with me at the station," Amy explained. "I'm Fat Amy of the night shift, you've heard of me."

Chloe nodded.

"I used to work there but now I'm interning at a production company in the area. CR is the boss at the station," Jesse added.

"And if you're lucky you'll never have to see them again," Beca commented. "I've shown nothing but disinterest for their friendship and yet they still hang around like a bad smell."

"Bad smells and growths, you have such a way with words," Chloe joked, referring to Beca's comment about Chloe being like a growth. "And I think we're all going to be fast friends."

Beca smiled at the redhead. "You know I meant growth as a term of endearment."

"Well I prefer pretty face."

"OK pretty face."

"OK rainbow."

"Once more and you're dead."

"You're half my height, are you really trying to threaten me?"

"Is this what you do to your students? Pick on them for being short?"

"Maybe I would if they called me a growth," Chloe returned fast.

Beca and Chloe entered a glaring contest but both were wearing grins.

"Is this what they're always like?" CR asked Tyler as she signalled for a waitress.

He nodded and grinned. "They make each other happy."

"Ready to order?" The waitress asked.

"Yep," Chloe answered, ending her contest with Beca. "I will have a burger and fries and Beca will have oatmeal, right Becs?"

"That depends. Does oatmeal come out of red hair easily or does it stick?" Beca joked.

The waitress frowned. "Was that a serious question?"

"Just a burger and fries please," Beca muttered.

"No you can't get what I got," Chloe interrupted, causing the waitress to sigh and tap her notepad pointedly.

"Why not?" Beca questioned.

"Cause we can't share if we have the same thing."

"Why are we sharing?"

"I love sharing. It lets me try different things."

"Well you change your order. I want the burger."

"But I already picked the burger and if I need to pick something else I'll have to spend time looking over the menu and this poor waitress has already wasted enough time on you."

Beca dropped her mouth. "Me? What about you miss-change-your-order-to-share-with-me?"

Chloe scrunched her face. "That's not even a payout. You literally just rehashed our conversation."

Beca groaned and dropped her head on the table.

Chloe turned back to the waitress. "She'll have a toastie, thanks."

Everyone else ordered quickly, still laughing at the pair. Beca lifted her head again when the waitress left.

"Thanks for that."

Chloe shrugged. "You're welcome. I can't help standing up for what I want."

"Really?" Beca questioned in a low and serious voice so that no one else could hear. "Cause I've seen you many times bend over backwards for other people, even when it makes your life impossible."

Chloe tilted her head, thinking over Beca's words. "Yeah… I guess you just make me feel comfortable." Chloe had started doing everything everyone had asked for her soon after Tom had told her that it was the only reason she had friends. Somehow, subconsciously, she had feared that saying no or sharing her own feelings would reveal the real her and people wouldn't like what she had to offer. But here was Beca… and she could be herself without even thinking about it and she never even considered the fact that Beca would get angry and not want to continue their friendship. Chloe eyes shone with gratitude. "I'm glad I met you."

Beca smiled back. "Same here."

"OK, no more solo conversations," Jesse interrupted, feeling left out.

Beca rewarded him breaking the moment with a punch to the shoulder and sat back, enjoying Chloe conversing with her friends, her makeshift family, like she belonged there. Beca's good mood was ruined when Chloe's phone flashed with 'Tom calling' and she watched Chloe's face very closely for her reaction.

"Sorry guys, it's my boyfriend. I need to take this," Chloe apologised, sliding out of the booth.

Beca and Jesse looked at each other. "Did you see her face?" Beca questioned and Jesse nodded. Chloe had looked like a mix between scared and sad when the phone had rung.

"He's hurting her," Jesse confirmed, whispering so only Beca could hear.

Beca and Jesse turned and watched Chloe as she spoke on the phone. They needed to stop this.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you thought. Peace.**


	6. Angels

**A/N: Well… here it is. The big chapter. I'm going to say thank you so much for all the positive feedback and support and for everyone who is reading this story because I feel like a few people (everyone** ) **will be pretty upset by the end of this chapter. There is a cliffhanger, sorry, I had to for the tension and all that, but I'm doing my best to finish the next chapter and get it up as soon as possible so you guys don't hate me for too long. The story is just getting started and there is much more drama, and hopefully eventual happiness, to come.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect, Hall of Fame or Superheroes.**

* * *

Monday

"This is my fault… this is all my fault…" Beca paced backwards and forwards in the hospital waiting room, tears still falling freely down her face. It was the first time she'd let anyone see her cry, and publically at that, but right now she just couldn't give a damn.

"This isn't your fault," Jesse tried from his seat.

"No! This is my fault! We knew and we didn't stop it. This is on us Jesse. We need to live with this." Beca dropped to her knees and pounded the ground uselessly, trying to expel some of her pain. "How can we live with this?"

Jesse jumped up and cradled his friend in his arms, rocking her slightly as she continued to cry. There was nothing he could say. He stood up quickly when he saw Aubrey enter the waiting room. Her clothes were crumpled and her face was a mess but not even the always-meticulous Aubrey Posen could care about appearances right now. Beca noticed Jesse's movements and looked through a curtain of hair to see Aubrey. She stood as well and bravely faced the blonde.

Aubrey wanted to be angry. She wanted to scream and yell and punch things but her heart felt heavy in her chest and the misery was weighing her down. She swallowed and opened her mouth to speak…

* * *

Saturday. Two days earlier…

"Alright angels, show circle," Chloe called. Her year 5 students quickly huddled and looked at her expectantly. "Before we go out there I just want to tell you all how proud I am of you. You have worked so hard the last few months, this week especially, to be ready for tonight so I know you are going to be amazing! Are we ready?"

A chorus of cheers sounded from the kids and Chloe put her hand out. "Hands in. On three. One. Two. Three. Ahhh!" They sang pitch perfect and began to move into their positions behind the curtain. "Tyler, wait a sec," Chloe asked.

He turned back around and looked up at the redhead. "Yes Miss Beale?"

Chloe knelt down, looking directly into the boy's eyes. "You have come such a long way since the day I met you. I am so glad that you let me be apart of that. If I ever have a son, I'd want him to be you, which means I know your parents must be so proud of you."

Tyler's eyes watered and he wrapped his arms quickly around his teacher. "Thank you," he whispered into her ear.

"Of course. And just remember, you do have family here. You have Beca, Jesse, Amy, CR and me. I'll be cheering for you Ty," Chloe promised.

"I'll do great," Tyler assured.

"I know you will," Chloe winked. "Alright, go get behind those drums of yours drummer boy."

Tyler hugged Chloe one last time and ran over to his drums. Chloe checked to make sure everyone was ready and stepped out from the curtains and up to the microphone. The lights were off except for the spotlight that was focused on her.

"Good evening parents, family, friends and staff of Barden Elementary. I am Chloe Beale, the head of the music department here and it was my honour this year to create the grade 5 musical performance. They have worked really hard, especially this week learning the songs and the dance with Stacie Conrad, the dance teacher. Without further ado, the Barden Superheroes!" Chloe quickly started a round of applause and jogged off the stage as it went dark and the curtains opened. Soon a soft light landed on Tori where she was playing the keyboard at the side of the stage. A second light appeared on Tyler at the drums as he yelled 'Ohhh' into a microphone and began playing as Chris was also lit up playing the guitar. Addy walked onto the stage, holding a microphone and began to sing her solo.

All her life she has seen

All the meaner side of me

They took away the prophet's dream for a profit on the street

Now she's stronger than you know

A heart of steel starts to grow

Tyler hit his drum part easily, extending it slightly to give Corey time to walk onto stage for his solo while Addy froze in place.

All his life he's been told

He'll be nothing when he's old

All the kicks and all the blows

He won't ever let it show

Addy started singing again, joining with Corey.

'Cause he's stronger than you know

A heart of steel starts to grow

Suddenly backlights lit up an area of the stage behind the musicians and the rest of year 5 was revealed, lined on ascending steps like a choir as they joined in for the chorus.

When you've been fighting for it all your life

You've been struggling to make things right

That's how a superhero learns to fly

When you've been fighting for it all your life

You've been working every day and night

That's how a superhero learns to fly

"Ohh, oh, oh, oh, ohh, oh, oh, oh," Tyler sang into his microphone again. Josh stepped to the front of the choir group and took his turn at a solo.

All the hurt, all the lies

All the tears that they cry

When the moment is just right

You see fire in their eyes

'Cause he's stronger than you know

A heart of steel starts to grow

The class joined together again for the chorus. [Tyler and Chris: bold]

When you've been fighting for it all your life

You've been struggling to make things right

That's how a superhero learns to fly

 **Every day, every hour**

 **Turn the pain into power**

When you've been fighting for it all your life

You've been working every day and night

That's how a superhero learns to fly

 **Every day, every hour**

 **Turn the pain into power**

 **Every day, every hour**

 **Turn the pain into power**

 **Every day, every hour**

 **Turn the pain into power**

Sofia stepped forward for the next verse.

She's got lions in her heart

A fire in her soul

He's got a beast in his belly

That's so hard to control

'Cause they've taken too much hits

Taking blow by blow

Now light a match, stand back, watch them explode

Then Lucy took her turn.

She's got lions in her heart

A fire in her soul

He's a got a beast in his belly

That's so hard to control

'Cause they've taken too much hits

Taking blow by blow

Now light a match, stand back, watch them explode

The entire class joined back together again.

When you've been fighting for it all your life

You've been struggling to make things right

That's how a superhero learns to fly

 **Every day, every hour**

 **Turn the pain into power**

When you've been fighting for it all your life

You've been working every day and night

That's how a superhero learns to fly

The lights at the back faded, leaving only the musicians and Addy and Corey visible on stage.

 **Every day, every hour**

 **Turn the pain into power**

 **Every day, every hour**

 **Turn the pain into power**

 **Every day, every hour**

 **Turn the pain into power**

The lights dropped again, now only showing Addy and Corey as they sang the last chorus together without any musical backing.

When you've been fighting for it all your life

You've been struggling to make things right

That's how a superhero learns to fly

The stage went black and the audience stood to give a standing ovation for the professional performance from the 10 year olds but when no lights came back up they quickly sat and silenced.

Lights came up slowly on stage as the music started, this time from backing and not a band as the instruments were gone from the stage. The kids stood in even rows with their heads down, wearing all black except for their caps. One row was wearing red caps, one pink, one yellow, one green and the last row was blue. Tyler and Chris were different, as they weren't wearing any caps. The class started moving in perfect unison, stepping from side to side and swaying their arms as Chris stepped out to the front and started singing.

Yeah, you can be the greatest

You can be the best

You can be the King Kong banging on your chest

You can beat the world

You can beat the war

You can talk to God, go banging on his door

You can throw your hands up

You can beat the clock (yeah)

You can move a mountain

You can break rocks

You can be a master

Don't wait for luck

Dedicate yourself and you gon' find yourself

The rest of the class started singing with him, adding more complicated dance steps with turns and weaving the rows through and past each other.

Standing in the hall of fame

And the world's gonna know your name

'Cause you burn with the brightest flame

And the world's gonna know your name

And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

Originally this song had been entirely Chris's as he was the only one who could both sing and dance at the same time but after hearing Tyler her graciously agreed to share the song with his new friend. Tyler stepped out the front and started his solo, the first time Beca had heard him sing in over a year.

You can go the distance

You can run the mile

You can walk straight through hell with a smile

You can be the hero

You can get the gold

Breaking all the records they thought never could be broke

Yeah, do it for your people

Do it for your pride

How are you ever gonna know if you never even try?

Do it for your country

Do it for your name

'Cause there's gonna be a day...

The rest of the class joined in again, the dance moves getting even harder and more complicated as the song went along but the rows were still even and the caps still matched.

When you're standing in the hall of fame

And the world's gonna know your name

'Cause you burn with the brightest flame

And the world's gonna know your name

And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

Be a champion, be a champion, be a champion, be a champion

On the walls of the hall of fame

Tyler and Chris stepped to the sides as they started singing again and the rest of the class turned around, showing the backs of their shirts to the audience. Students had a word saying what they wanted to be when they grew up. They kept dancing but with their backs to the audience and now creating a circle that turned as they held hands as a group.

Be students

Be teachers

Be politicians

Be preachers

Be believers

Be leaders

Be astronauts

Be champions

Be truth seekers

Be students

Be teachers

Be politicians

Be preachers

Be believers

Be leaders

Be astronauts

Be champions

The students quickly turned back around and moved back into lines, all mixed together now though in an array of colours as they all began to sing together again.

Standing in the hall of fame

And the world's gonna know your name

'Cause you burn with the brightest flame

And the world's gonna know your name

And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

Standing in the hall of fame

And the world's gonna know your name

'Cause you burn with the brightest flame

And the world's gonna know your name

And you'll be on the walls of the hall of fame

The song stopped playing and the students dropped their heads and froze. The audience all stood again, cheering and clapping wildly to show how impressed they were with their students. The students raised their hands, held hands, and bowed, just as Chloe had taught them to. They were about to start walking off of the stage when Tyler stepped out to the front and started talking into his microphone, silencing the audience again.

"Hi. My name is Tyler and I'm new to Barden." Tyler's eyes flittered around the room until he found Beca in the audience, sitting with wide and watery eyes. "Miss Beale is our music teacher and she taught us to do this."

The audience clapped again for Chloe and the redhead waved politely from the stage wings. Tyler glanced at his teacher and kept talking.

"But she is more than that and people need to tell her that. When I started here it was her who helped me with my behavior. She didn't just expel me when other schools did. Miss Beale is important to me and all of this class because she cares about us. So Miss Beale, we care about you too."

Chris had run off stage but now returned with a huge card that said 'Best Teacher' on it. Tyler waved her arm to make Chloe walked onto the stage and the audience started clapping again, some even crying. "This is for you," Chris said as he handed over the card they had all written and drawn in. In unison the grade five class cheered, "We love you Miss Beale," as Chloe took the card.

"Angels!" Chloe cried, opening her arms and pulling as many of them as she could into a hug, which they all joined in on. After a lot of applause and a few tears Chloe and the students eventually made their way off the stage and the kids ran back to their parents.

* * *

Chloe was looking at her card backstage when it was yanked out of her hands. She looked up with a start to see Tom standing in front of her, full of rage. "Tom?" she questioned, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"What the fuck do you think I'm doing here?" Tom spat, throwing the card carelessly to the side and forcing himself into Chloe's personal space. "You've been acting weird all week so I checked your phone and found a photo of you with that kid and some slut. Is that who Aubrey was talking about? Were you with her the weekend I was out of town?" Tom fumed, firing the questions quickly and giving Chloe no chance to respond.

"Tom-"

"Do you think those kids actually do love you? I promise if you stopped buying them things and stopped acting like this fake happy person they would despise you, just as I do, just as your parents do. No one who actually knows the real you sticks around Chloe. You know that. No one even cares enough to stop me doing this." Tom raised his hand, not caring that they were in public because they were hidden behind curtains. He was centimeters from Chloe face when someone grabbed his arm.

"Actually. I care."

"Beca," Chloe gasped as she opened the eyes she'd closed in anticipation of being struck.

Beca spared a quick glance at Chloe to make sure she was mostly OK before focusing on the Tom problem. "I don't know who you think you are but you have no right to speak to Chloe that way. I do know Chloe for who she is and that person is amazing."

"Oh please," Tom said, rolling his eyes. "She drives you all over the place and spends all of her free time tutoring your son for free."

Beca clenched her jaw. "Chloe doesn't need to do any of that for me to care about her. Heck she could have never done it and it wouldn't change how I feel. And how I feel is pretty fucking adamant that you are never going to lay another hand on her or say one more thing to her," Beca threatened.

"Oh yeah? You and what army?" Tom snickered, stepping away from Chloe, finally, to hover over Beca.

"We aren't an army but we can take you on," Jesse said boldly.

Tom turned to see Jesse and Amy standing behind him. CR had stayed to keep Tyler busy when Jesse and Amy guessed there was a problem.

"And we're going to walk out of here with Chloe and you aren't going to do anything about it. OK?" Beca finished.

Tom glanced between the three strangers before turning back to Chloe. "C'mon babe, tell them you're fine. We can go home and sort this out, OK?"

Chloe chewed her lip; her brain waging a war against what Tom had brainwashed her to do verses what she actually should do.

"Remember you love me," Tom pushed, "And you're not going to do any better than me."

That was it. Chloe's brain felt like it sparked and started working again. She couldn't do any better than Tom… but she could… and she was the one standing there defending her. "Yes I can Tom. I'm going with Beca."

"Babe!" Tom reached out a hand and Jesse acted quickly, grabbing him from behind. Tom struggled against him but after Amy threatened to unless the Kraken he calmed.

"Alright, fine, fine! I'll go. Chloe, this isn't over," Tom promised as he left the room and the building.

Chloe stood in shook for a second before her eyes found Beca's and she collapsed, sobbing, into the woman's arms.

* * *

Beca stood in her bedroom doorway watching Chloe sleep. The lights were off in the bedroom but light was filtering in from the kitchen area. Beca had convinced Tyler to stay with CR for the night and Jesse was camped on the floor next to the couch, just in case. Beca should be asleep in Tyler's room but she couldn't tear herself away from Chloe, just in case the redhead woke up and needed something. Chloe hadn't said anything on the way home. Beca had driven Chloe's car with Jesse in the back and Amy, CR and Tyler had taken Jesse's car. When they walked inside Chloe had just asked if it was OK to go to sleep and had left Jesse and Beca alone.

"Creeper," came Chloe's voice softly but suddenly from the bed. Chloe rolled over to face Beca at the doorway. "You should really stop watching people sleep."

"Not people. Just you." Beca stepped slowly into the room and took and stood awkwardly beside the bed until Chloe patted the space next to her and Beca laid down.

"So you're my personal creeper then," Chloe joked but the humor didn't reach her eyes.

Beca didn't like the silence that fell over them. "I need you to talk to me about this Chloe."

"Beca-"

"No. Please don't argue. I saw that bruise on your face and I let it slid now all I can think of it what has happened between then and now that I didn't stop when I should have and it makes me hate myself and it makes me angry at you for not just letting me in," Beca said fiercely, locking eyes with the redhead.

Chloe reached out a hand and tucked some of Beca's messy hair behind an ear. "So you didn't believe the softball story then?"

"You mean the softball lie?" Beca returned, a little too harshly as it caused Chloe to flinch. "I'm sorry. I… I just want to help you Chloe."

Chloe swallowed and rolled onto her back so she wouldn't need to face the brunette. Beca was right; she deserved an explanation. "He wasn't always like this, you know. In college he was so sweet. He was a jock frat guy but he was always loving and faithful. He was really there for me when my parents stopped talking to me. They wanted me to be a doctor like them but I always loved music and felt that teachers helped just as much as doctors. He was supportive and really encouraged me to follow my dreams. He even brought our apartment for us because he knew I wouldn't be making too much as a teacher. One weekend he went on this business trip to New York. I had been busy for a few weeks and I hadn't actually seen him awake in over a month. He came back happier and I knew straight away… women always do… but I understood because it was just as much my fault, or at least that's how it felt, so I ignored it. A few days later he came home and I was asleep and he was drunk and… I said no but he ignored me. I almost broke up with him but he was so sorry and I loved him. And then it happened again, and again, and again, and sometimes he would hit me and I hated it and I hated him but it was too late. How do I explain to people that I let it happen for over a year?"

Beca reached down and linked their hands together, trying to give the redhead support. "You don't need to explain anything to anyone Chloe."

Chloe rolled back over and reconnected her eyes with Beca's. "Not even you?"

"Especially not me. I don't care what he said, I do know you, and I do care about the person you really are. This doesn't define you, if you don't let it, but you need to find the strength to make it stop because you are better than that."

Chloe nodded and smiled softly at her friend.

"Do you… do you want to go to the police?" Beca asked.

Chloe chewed her lip. "No. I'm sorry you probably think that's stupid but-"

Beca placed a soft finger of Chloe's mouth to silence her. "You're not stupid. If you aren't ready then that's fine. You can stay here as long as you need to. I'm sure Tyler would love it if you never leave and I certainly wouldn't mind it."

Chloe searched Beca's eyes, seeing nothing but honesty. "Thank you Beca. I might not be ready for the police but Tom and I… we are over. I promise."

"OK," Beca accepted easily. "It's late. What do you say we go to sleep?"

"OK." Chloe rolled back over so that she was on her side, her back facing Beca. Beca stood slowly from the bed but Chloe twisted her head around. "Where are you going?"

"I was going to sleep in Tyler's room."

"We're friends. We can share a bed," Chloe reminded Beca of her comments from the other week.

Beca smiled and slid back into the bed and under the covers.

"Goodnight Beca."

"Goodnight pretty face."

* * *

Monday.

"Hi Jessica, is Aubrey in?" Tom questioned as he walked into the office at Barden Elementary.

Jessica smiled cheerfully at the handsome man. "She is. Go right on in."

"Thanks," Tom replied with a wink and a smile as he walked past her and into Aubrey's office, knocking at the open door on his way in. "Hey Bree."

Aubrey stood up from her chair with a wide smile and walked around the desk to greet Tom with a hug. "Hey Tom! What brings you by today?" Aubrey leaned on the front of her desk as Tom took a seat in front of it.

"I'm worried about Chloe."

"What's wrong?" Aubrey questioned, filled with concern for her best friend at the look of sadness in Tom's eyes.

"Well she didn't come home last night. She hasn't actually been home since the concert on Saturday."

Aubrey frowned. "Why hasn't she been home?"

Tom sighed and ran a hand through his hair, doing his best to act like the concerned boyfriend. "I turned up to surprise her but I never got the chance to speak to her. She spent the entire night talking with a woman and a boy in her class, that drummer boy, and then I saw them leave together. I know I shouldn't even be considering this but do you think Chloe would do anything inappropriate?"

Aubrey clenched her jaw, furious with her friend, but Tom deserved some sort of explanation and he looked heartbroken. "Tom I know Chloe and I love her dearly but sometimes she just gives too much of herself and people take advantage of that. I don't think Chloe would ever do anything to hurt you but Beca, that woman, is a very bad influence and seems to have a way of convincing Chloe that she needs all of her time."

Tom sighed again and nodded. "I love her so much Bree. I can forgive her for anything but I need her to come home to me and I need this woman to leave her alone."

"Don't worry about her," Aubrey assured. "We do not condone that behavior here. They will be removed from the school today."

"Thank you Aubrey. Umm… I know it's work hours but is Chloe here today?" Tom asked, giving Aubrey his best puppy dog expression.

Aubrey quickly grabbed a master timetable from her desk and glanced over it. "She is here today and it looks like she doesn't have a class right now. You're more than welcome to just head down there and talk to her." Aubrey grabbed a visitor badge from a drawer and handed it over to the man. "You are such a great guy Tom, I hope Chloe sees that."

"Thanks Bree. She's lucky to have you as her friend. You really care about what's best for her."

Aubrey smiled and Tom waved as he walked from the office and headed to the music room. His smile turned sadistic as soon as he was out of sight.

* * *

Chloe had spent all day Sunday relaxing with the Mitchell family and watching movies. She felt comfortable and included. Luckily she'd been able to borrow some of Beca's tiny clothes and had washed her outfit from Saturday at the concert to wear today. Tomorrow would be another problem. Chloe was halfway through marking a quiz when her phone rang. She picked it up without even glancing at her was calling. "Miss Beale speaking."

"Hey Chloe it's Benji."

Chloe dropped her pen and leaned back in her chair, a frown on her face. "Hey Benji, what's up?"

"Tyler wants to know if he can come and see you."

Chloe's frown deepened. "Why? Is he having a problem in class?"

"No actually, it's something good but I don't want to ruin the surprise. Can he come down?"

"Yeah sure, send him," Chloe said with a shrug. "Thanks Benji, see you at lunch." Chloe hung up the phone and was about to return to her marking when she heard her classroom click closed. Chloe looked up and jumped from her chair, backing behind her desk. "What are you doing here?"

Tom grinned at her fear and began to stalk towards her. "What do you mean baby? I'm just here to talk."

"We have nothing to talk about Tom. We are over. You need to leave."

Tom reached the desk and kept inching towards the frightened redhead. He fingered his visitors badge so she could see it. "I'm allowed to be here. You best friend said it was OK."

Chloe swallowed. Tom was within arms reach now and she had nowhere to move so she just pressed her back into the desk even harder. "That's because she doesn't know who you really are. You need to leave Tom or I'll call the police."

Tom took another step so that his body was pressed into Chloe's. He quickly grabbed her hands so that she couldn't pick up her phone. "I don't think you're going to be calling anyone. Who has put these thoughts into your head Chloe? Is it that slut?"

"Don't call her that!" Chloe yelled, causing Tom to squeeze her hands tightly, her bones cracking slightly and causing Chloe to whimper in pain.

"She is a slut, just like you. Maybe you two deserve each other but she isn't here now, is she Chloe? It's just me and you and there is no one who can save you." Tom leaned forward and tried to kiss Chloe but she moved her head to the side so his lips landed on her jaw. Tom moved to grip both of her hands in one of his and used his now free hand to pinch her chin roughly, holding it in place. "You don't fight me Chloe, you never have. Don't let some bitch fill your head with lies. You are nothing. You are worthless. No one cares about you, especially not her." Tom smashed their mouth together and forced his tongue into her mouth. Chloe reacted without thinking, biting down.

"Ow!" Tom roared as he pulled back. "You fucking bitch!" Tom raised a hand and slapped Chloe roughly, knocking her off balance and causing her to crash to the floor, hitting her head and narrowly avoiding hitting it on the desk.

"Miss Beale!" A strong voice yelled from the doorway.

Chloe tried to blink the fuzziness out of her eyes and could just make out Tyler standing in the doorway. "N-no Tyler. Run," Chloe stuttered, struggling to stand and slumping back down.

Tom laughed and kicked Chloe in the side, making her stay down. "This is the brat kid that belongs to your whore, isn't it? Come here kid," Tom ordered.

Tyler looked terrified. He glanced between the man and his struggling teacher. He should run, she'd told him too, but this man was hurting her. He had been there when he lost his parents and he hadn't been able to do anything to help him. He couldn't lose Chloe. He slowly moved towards the man, trying to think of any way that he could help her.

"Miss Beale? Are you OK?" Tyler asked as he neared the two adults.

"Tyler, run," Chloe begged, forcing herself to her feet again, using the desk to help herself up as her head pounded and her stomach rolled.

"No Chloe, the kid wants to stay," Tom smirked, giving his attention to Tyler as he saw how much Chloe was struggling. "It's up to people like me to teach brats like you a lesson you know," Tom commented as he raised him arm.

Chloe moved quickly, ignoring her pain as she realized Tom would hurt Tyler. She grabbed Tom's arm, digging in her nails. She could see the surprise in Tom's eyes as she fought back for the first time. "Do not touch him," she growled.

Tom's surprise turned into anger and he yanked his arm from Chloe's grip, her nails leaving deep scratches, and moved to hit Tyler again, this time moving to quickly for Chloe to grab his arm. Chloe refused to let Tyler get hurt because of her though and she quickly moved in front of the boy, pushing him softly backwards with her momentum, causing him to fall safely into the sleeping bags beside her desk. She wasn't as lucky because Tom's fist connected with her at a harsh angle, hitting her directly in the temple, as she was already falling. She was unconscious before her head snapped on the desk as she fell to the floor. Tom stared down at her unmoving body, in shock from what he had just done.

Tyler scrambled to his feet and over to her body. He shook her shoulder roughly. "Miss Beale!" He cried.

"Shit!" Tom yelled, realizing what he had done. "Shit!" He quickly ran from the room and out of the building. His car left tire marks as he fled the parking lot, causing Aubrey to look out of her window in confusion. She quickly hurried to Chloe's room to see what her friend had done to Tom but was shocked to instead see and crying and confused little boy sobbing beside Chloe's body as a pool on blood seeped into the carpet.

* * *

Beca pulled out her phone and quickly answered it. "Beca Mitchell."

"Ms Mitchell, this is Jessica from Barden Elementary."

Beca felt her pulse race. The usually cheerful receptionist was breathless and sounded panicked.

"What's wrong? Is it Tyler?"

"There was an accident at school today," Jessica began.

"Just fucking tell me!" Beca cut her off, not having the patience for the slow way Jessica had begun to explain.

But Jessica continued slowly, needing to be clear and struggling to understand the situation herself. The school had closed, the students all currently in the large hall while teachers called parents and hid them from the ambulance and police. Jessica had the job of informing Beca. "Tyler is fine."

Beca breathed a sigh of relief.

"But he is at the hospital."

"What? What hospital?" Beca cried, panicking and quickly standing from her chair, her loud volume grabbing CR's attention.

"Ms Mitchell, calm down and listen," Jessica demanded, her voice so stern that it actually caused Beca to close her mouth for a moment. "Tyler is fine. He just went in the ambulance with her and is being checked for shock."

Beca's blood turned cold. "Her?"

"His teacher, Miss Beale. There was an accident at the school."

"What happened?"

"I'm sorry. I'm not at liberty to discuss this with you. There are police at the hospital who can explain the situation to you."

"Don't fucking give me that! Is Chloe alive?" Beca snapped.

"I…" Jessica sobbed into the phone, her momentary composure leaving her. "The University Hospital," Jessica said before hanging up the phone. She wasn't sure why the woman had been so concerned with the well-being on her brother's teacher but she couldn't really think about that right now, she had calls to make.

Beca stared at her phone in shock, blinking at it as if it would somehow magically answer all of her questions.

"What's happened?" CR asked when Beca made not attempt to move or speak.

"Chloe… accident… hospital… Tyler…" Beca said, her voice coming out as barely a whisper.

"Chloe and Tyler are in hospital?" CR asked, trying to understand what was happening.

CR's words seemed to jump start Beca as she began to frantically grab her things and run out of the office, CR close behind her.

Beca stopped in the parking lot and looked around, momentarily confused. "Fuck! I don't have a fucking car!" Beca screamed.

CR lightly grabbed her arm and pulled her over to the passenger seat of her car. "I'm driving."

CR quickly sent a short message to Jesse, just saying hospital, as she jumped into the driver's seat and quickly took off for the hospital.

* * *

Beca and CR ran into the hospital waiting room. They saw two police officers standing near the desk and ran over.

"My name is Beca Mitchell. My brother Tyler is here, there was an incident at his school."

The police officers nodded. "Right this way Ms Mitchell," one of them spoke, quickly ushering the pair into a small room to speak in private.

"What happened?" Beca asked as soon as the door closed. She knew she wouldn't be able to legally get any information about Chloe by asking for it but was hoping in finding out about what was wrong with Tyler she would get more information. The only comfort right now was Jessica assurance that her brother was fine, just in shock at most.

"Take a seat Ms Mitchell-"

"No, I'm fine. Just tell me, please," Beca begged urgently.

"You're brother is fine. He is with a doctor now and we'll take him to see you momentarily."

"Just-" Beca clenched her fists to keep from lashing out. "Just tell me what happened."

The officers shared a look before one started speaking. "An authorized male entered the school premises at approximately 11.15. He was given a visitors pass and walked freely into the music room at the school. While in that room he assaulted a female staff member. Your brother walked in on the assault and witnessed part of it. The man fled but we have officer out searching for him. He has been identified and will be found."

"Tom," Beca said automatically.

The officer who had been talking frowned and looked at her suspiciously. "We can not confirm the man's identity. What is your association with Mr Jennings?"

Beca swallowed. "Nothing. Are Tyler and Chloe OK?"

The officer's frown deepened. "Your brother was admitted to be observed for shock but the doctor believes he is medically and emotionally sound. What is your association with Ms Beale?"

"She's my son's teacher and… my friend. Can you please tell me if she is alive at least?"

The two men glanced at each other again. "Ms Beale is currently in intensive care with a severe brain injury. That is all we can tell you. We can take you to you brother now but we will have more questions for both of you later."

Beca nodded robotically, trying to understand what exactly intensive care and severe brain injury meant and how bad that was.

* * *

"Beca!" Tyler cried as he saw Beca enter the room. He jumped down from the bed her had been sitting on and raced into her arms. Beca bent down and placed kisses on his head and all over her face, quickly scanning him with her eyes to double check that he was OK.

"I'm so glad you're OK buddy," Beca whispered, tears in her eyes.

But Tyler barely noticed her relief. "Have you seen Miss Beale?" he asked.

Beca shook her head. "Can you tell me what happened?"

"It was scary," Tyler said.

"I know Ty," Beca agreed, not wanting to push her little brother just because she was desperate for details.

Tyler seemed to understand anyway and started talking about what happened, in a way he never had been strong enough to about the car accident. "I got an A and I wanted to show Miss Beale how good I did so Mr Applebaum said I could go see her. The door was closed but there were people yelling. I walked in and the man hit Miss Beale and she fell on the floor and hit her head. I said something and he made me go to him but Miss Beale told me to run but I couldn't leave her. I didn't want him to hurt her anymore," Tyler cried.

Beca scooped him back into her arms. "That's OK buddy. You were very strong."

Tyler sniffed against Beca's shoulder and kept telling his story. "And he tried to hit me by Miss Beale stopped him and he hurt her again. Then he tried to hurt me again but she got hit instead 'cause she pushed me into the bean bags and he hit her head and then her head hit the desk and then she didn't move. Ms Posen came in and then the ambulance but she didn't move Beca. She's dead, isn't she?"

Beca clung to her little brother tightly. "No Tyler, she's not dead. She's here buddy, she's OK," Beca promised even though she had no idea if her words were actually true.

Tyler pulled back and met Beca's eyes hope filling his face. "Can we see her? I want to be there for her."

"We can try," Beca said, grabbing his hand and walking with him from the room to the reception area, CR still following behind.

"Hi, hey, can you tell me where Chloe Beale is?" Beca asked.

The nurse behind the counter looked at her carefully. "Family only, sorry."

"We are family," Tyler argued.

The nurse stood slightly from his chair to look down at the sad little boy, sympathy getting the best of her. "Intensive care unit 3. It's on floor 4."

"Thank you," Beca said earnestly as they made their way quickly to Chloe's floor.

* * *

Beca, Tyler and CR found Chloe's room easily, marked by the crying blonde leaning against the door.

"Miss Posen?" Tyler asked, causing Aubrey's head to snap up and look at them.

"Tyler. Are you OK? What did the doctors say?" Aubrey asked, her voice laced with sympathy and concern.

"He's fine," Beca answered. "Is Chloe in there?"

Aubrey nodded. "But we can't go in." Beca opened her mouth to argue but Aubrey quickly continued. "Not because I'm saying no but because the doctors are in with her."

Beca accepted it with a nod and tried to glance through the window, seeing only curtains and moving white lab coats. "What have they said?"

"Not much. I'm her emergency contact so luckily they will talk to me even though I'm not family, officially. All I know is that they are worried and not making promises." Aubrey glanced at Tyler, trying to keep her explanation mysterious enough for Beca to understand but not Tyler.

Beca glanced at Tyler as well. He shouldn't be here. Beca knew that really she should go home with him to make sure he had someone to talk to but Beca also needed to be here in case… "CR. Can you take Tyler home?"

"Sure Bec."

"No! I want to stay here!" Tyler argued.

Beca bent down and put her hands on his shoulders. "Tyler. Miss Beale isn't doing great right now and I really need to be here for her."

"So do I!"

"Tyler you can't. If you are here then I will be too busy worrying about you. There is a lot of adult stuff going on right now and I don't want you to see it. You've seen enough in your short life but I need to shield you from this," Beca said honestly, begging the boy to just listen to her. "So I need you to go home with CR and I will call you as soon as I know anything, OK?"

"Who will be here with you?"

"Jesse is on his way," CR supplied.

"See? I'll be fine. Now you go. And maybe you can make Miss Beale a great card for when she can have visitors, OK?"

Tyler's face seemed to scrunch up as he considered it, finally giving in and giving Beca one last hug before leaving with CR.

"So what did the doctors say?" Beca asked Aubrey again.

"The doctors don't think she will make the night and if she does she may never wake up again."

The words were like a sledgehammer to Beca's heart. She had lost Chloe before she had even told her how she felt. If only she had just gone to the police then this wouldn't have happened.

* * *

Beca tried to convince Aubrey to move into the floor 4 waiting room but Aubrey was intent to stay right at the door, her guilt overwhelming her, as Jesse and Beca made themselves comfortable for the long wait ahead of them, knowing the doctors wouldn't have anymore information for at least a few hours.

"This is my fault… this is all my fault…" Beca paced backwards and forwards in the hospital waiting room, tears still falling freely down her face. It was the first time she'd let anyone see her cry, and publically at that, but right now she just couldn't give a damn.

"This isn't you fault," Jesse tried from his seat.

"No! This is my fault! We knew and we didn't stop it. This is on us Jesse. We need to live with this." Beca dropped to her knees and pounded the ground uselessly, trying to expel some of her pain. "How can we live with this?"

Jesse jumped up and cradled his friend in his arms, rocking her slightly as she continued to cry. There was nothing he could say. He stood up quickly when he saw Aubrey enter the waiting room. Her clothes were crumpled and her face was a mess but not even the always-meticulous Aubrey Posen could care about appearances right now. Beca noticed Jesse's movements and looked through a curtain of hair to see Aubrey. She stood as well and bravely faced the blonde.

Aubrey wanted to be angry. She wanted to scream and yell and punch things but her heart felt heavy in her chest and the misery was weighing her down. She swallowed and opened her mouth to speak.

"She's stable," Aubrey choked out.

Beca felt relief wash through her quickly but frowned as she realised Aubrey hadn't acted like this was good news. "That's good, isn't it?" she questioned.

Aubrey swallowed thickly. "She's stable but unresponsive."

"What's that mean?"

"She's in a coma and she may never wake up."

* * *

 **A/N: Stay with me! Please :( I will update as soon as I can. Peace.**


	7. Rainbow

**A/N: Sorry it's not as quick as I hoped but it is still faster than usual :) Huge thanks to everyonelovesagoodBhloe for betaing this chapter for him.**

* * *

Seconds flowed into minutes, which flowed into hours, which flowed into days, which flowed into weeks, and before anyone realised it a month had passed. Life returned to normal for everyone except for the three that continued a bedside vigil, refusing to give up on the redhead. Aubrey had taken a leave of absence from Barden, taking the nightshift by Chloe's bedside and sleeping throughout the day. Tyler had stopped going to school and Beca had stopped caring as they took the dayshift and slept at night. Beca had fought Tyler on it at first but he had quickly returned to making havoc and Aubrey's replacement was quick to issue a warning in the form of his first Barden suspension. When it had ended two weeks ago Beca hadn't made him go back, instead still working through the books Chloe had once bought for him in Chloe's room. Tyler's teacher, Benji, had been understanding and during his weekend visits with his friend he would bring schoolwork for Tyler to try to keep up to date. Chloe's doctors had very clearly said that it was Chloe's decision to wake up and they could do nothing. Beca and Aubrey had agreed for the first time when they started yelling at the doctors as Chloe was moved into a long-term care facility. They weren't ready to give up on her as others had. Even the police seemed to have stopped searching for Tom after his disappearing act. He was still out there, somewhere, living and breathing without machines unlike the redheaded beauty that remained unconscious. Beca had filled with hatred for the man that had ruined this stunning person's life and she could feel that Tyler had as well, which made her hate the man even more. Aubrey had contacted Chloe's parents but they had refused to visit, transferring power of attorney and all responsibility to the blonde. Beca and Aubrey had been forced to forge a companionship, often calling each other to ensure someone was with Chloe at all times, just in case. They were the only people that still cared, even after all Chloe had done for the people in her life.

Aubrey had nightmares, which led to her preferring to sleep during the days, in which she replayed that day over and over again and tried to find the signs of what Tom had been doing to Chloe for the last year. Aubrey was supposed to be her best friend but she had constantly steamrolled Chloe's attitude towards her boyfriend as rude and selfish. Aubrey needed her friend to wake up so that she could apologise because the guilt was tearing her apart.

Beca had dreams. The dreams painted a future in which she had asked Chloe on a date and the music teacher had accepted. Beca had taken her to a diner where the wait staff sang and then they had walked through a park filled with buskers before playing mini golf. It had been childish, romantic, filled with music and it made Beca hate waking up. In her dreams she fell in love with bright blue eyes and red hair and in the harsh reality of the day those eyes were missing and the hair was dull.

Tyler spent hours staring at the drums he had pulled from storage and reassembled. He'd spent hours learning all the songs from The Little Mermaid so he could play them to Chloe but now it just sat uselessly in the corner. Chloe had taught him to love music again and then she had taken it away. His sister had stopped smiling, had stopped talking, and Tyler had become someone who was just there, feeding himself, taking himself to bed, and crying every night.

Exactly a month after the attack Beca was staring at Chloe's face, without really seeing, while Tyler was doing schoolwork, when Beca's phone rang. She didn't hear it at first, too distracted in her daydream. She'd changed the ringtone to Titanium as it was the one song she could remember Chloe loving, even if it was in a dirty way. What she did hear, though, was the beeping. Beca had memorised the sounds of all of Chloe's machines, just in case there was ever a change she refused to miss it. The song played and the beeping increased. Beca blinked. Her phone stopped ringing and the beeping returned to normal.

"Tyler," Beca said so suddenly that Tyler jumped. "Go get a nurse, now."

Tyler looked over at Chloe's bed and machines, not seeing or hearing anything different. "What is it?"

"Just go Tyler!"

Tyler jumped up, hearing hope in Beca's voice that he hadn't heard for weeks, and raced from the room. Beca pulled her laptop from her shoulder bag and set it on a side table right next to the bed. She turned the volume to the max and waited for Tyler to return with the nurse.

"Is something wrong?" The nurse, Ashley according to the name on her badge, asked as she came into the room. She was quiet and Beca had never even had a full conversation with her but she seemed nice enough.

"Watch," Beca demanded, pressing play on her laptop. The music filled the room, most likely disrupting other nurses and residents with the volume but Beca couldn't care less because it happened again. Chloe's heart rate sped up again, this time even more so.

Ashley quickly moved to the bed and checked Chloe's pulse. "Stop it," Ashley said.

Beca pressed stop and they watched as it returned to normal.

"What does it mean? Is she waking up?" Tyler asked excitedly.

"I'm not sure. Keep watching her, I'm going to get the on-call doctor in," Ashley said as she rushed from the room.

Tyler moved around to the opposite side of the bed as Beca as they both grabbed Chloe's hands, staring at her face.

"You should call Miss Posen," Tyler commented.

Beca nodded and quickly pulled out her phone, not removing her eyes from the pale face.

"Aubrey Posen," a tired voice answered.

"Aubrey, it's Beca. You need to get down here." Beca heard something rumbling for a second before Aubrey's voice returned much more alert.

"What's happening?"

"We don't know. I played Titanium and her heart started speeding up. A doctor is coming in," Beca explained.

"I'm on my way," Aubrey assured, hanging up the phone quickly.

Aubrey drove like a woman possessed and beat the doctor to the facility even though the hospital was half the distance away. Doctor Wilkins, the same doctor that had been in charge of Chloe's case at the hospital entered the room briskly, acknowledging the familiar faces within the room as he began to check his patient. Tyler, Beca and Aubrey all moved to one side of the bed in order to give him space. He opened her eyelids and shone a penlight into her eyes, muttering to Ashley to make a note of what he saw. Next he pulled a pin-type device from his pocket and uncovered Chloe's feet. Watching very closely he lightly stuck Chloe's toe and her foot jerked back.

"Oh my god," Aubrey breathed, covering her mouth with a hand as Tyler and Beca just stared on with wide eyes.

The doctor did the same to the other foot and received the same reaction. He recovered Chloe's feet and muttered once more to the nurse to make a note. He moved to a medical cabinet in Chloe's room, unlocked it, and grabbed and filled a syringe, which he injected into Chloe's fluid IV. Chloe's entire body seemed to jolt as soon as it entered her body.

"Chloe?" Aubrey spoke, taking a step closer to the bed and standing directly beside Tyler. Chloe's head tilted slightly, moving towards Aubrey as if she had heard her voice.

"Again," the doctor instructed.

Aubrey swallowed thickly and took another step so she could grab her friend's hand. "Chloe? Sweetie it's Aubrey. Can you hear me?" Chloe's eyes didn't open but her head moved a little more so it was facing Aubrey directly. "Chloe? Can you hear me?" Aubrey tried again. "Show me that you can hear me, please do something," Aubrey begged, tears coming free when Chloe's eyes still didn't open.

"Chloe," the doctor spoke in a clear and loud voice. "If you can hear us, squeeze your hands," he ordered.

"She did it!" Aubrey cried when she felt a slight pressure on her hand. "She did it!"

The doctor lightly picked up the other hand. "Chloe. Squeeze our hands." She did.

"Oh god Chloe! You're still here," Aubrey cried, relieved. "Why won't she open her eyes?" Aubrey questioned.

"She's in a very deep coma, it takes awhile to become alert again," the doctor explained.

"Wait. Is she still in the coma?" Beca asked. "Isn't she fine now? You said she would never wake up."

"It's a very complicated situation Ms Mitchell. The brain is a complicated organ and we are unable to judge the damage in its entirety until she can communicate with us properly. Medically we categorise a coma in three different ways; Best motor response, verbal response and eye opening. Ms Beale had been on a score of three, showing no response to any stimulus or pain and showed no signs of awareness. It is extremely rare for a patient with a level three on the Glasgow Coma Scale to ever improve."

"But she has improved," Beca argued, feeling confused by the medical jargon. "She's reacting."

"Yes she is but this won't be a quick improvement. It will be a long and steady road to recovery and we still need to determine the extent of brain trauma."

"So how long?"

"I can't say. I-" The doctor was cut off when Chloe jolted again, this time raising an arm.

"Chloe?" Aubrey asked as Chloe seemed to keep trying to raise the same arm.

Chloe barked a cough and her body jolted again.

"Nurse," the doctor said, quickly realising the problem and working with the nurse to remove Chloe's breathing tube. Chloe sucked a deep breath and her body calmed again, returning to the motionless stance it had been in for weeks.

"She can breath on her own," Beca grinned, explaining it to Tyler who smiled back up to her. "What's next Doctor?"

"We wait," he explained. "We can't know how slowly or quickly she will return to consciousness, she may not even return completely. You three should continue to communicate with her, talk to her, read to her, anything will help her. Nurse Ashley will be by hourly to observe her condition and keep me informed. Both of us will be available should you have further questions. Meanwhile you three will just need to be patient with her recovery."

Ashley and Doctor Wilkins soon left, leaving Tyler, Beca and Aubrey once again alone in the room.

"Are you gonna stay or…" Beca asked of Aubrey.

Aubrey chewed her lip. The doctor had said Chloe may not do anything more for a while and she really wanted to be able to stay awake and talk to her tonight which would mean getting sleep now. "I should get some sleep so I can stay awake tonight. Will you be with her?"

Beca nodded. "I'm not going anywhere. I'll call you."

"OK." Aubrey gently released Chloe's hand and headed for the door. "Beca?" Aubrey started. "Call me with anything. Even if it's something small. Just let me know."

"I will."

Aubrey left and Tyler slowly moved back to the small table to continue his work, glancing at Chloe every few minutes. Beca reclaimed her chair next to Chloe's bed and softly picked up the redhead's hand. "Hey Chloe, it's Beca."

Chloe didn't seem to react. Her had didn't squeeze and her head didn't move.

"Beca Mitchell, Tyler's sister from Barden Elementary," Beca joked. "Just because you know so many Beca Mitchells." Beca brushed some hair away from Chloe's face, brushing her cheek slightly. Chloe's head moved in response and Beca grinned. "I've missed you. God I've missed you so much. I'm kinda a mess actually. Maybe you shouldn't open you eyes because I may scare you back into a coma."

"That's not funny," Tyler stated from his seat, not even looking up from his work.

"Chloe gets it," Beca smirked. The redhead did seem to understand her poor attempt at jokes like no one else. "You'd be pretty disappointed actually. I haven't been to work in… at least a month and Ty hasn't been to school in weeks."

"Don't tell her that!" Tyler gasped.

"Shh! Focus on your work you terrible child," Beca joked and Tyler rolled his eyes. "Kidding aside, there's nowhere I would rather be than right by your side, helping you through this Chloe. Although maybe I would love it if right by your side was down by the beach or something. I hate that I let this happen to you and I promise that I will never let you get hurt again. You need to help me out though and wake up. We need you Chlo, me and Tyler and Aubrey, we need you." Beca felt a light pressure on her hand as Chloe did her best to squeeze it. "That's cool. You know that I'm not great with words so I'm just gonna play you some music, OK? Don't worry, we can start with Titanium. I'll try to think of something a bit more interesting for tomorrow maybe." Beca pressed play on her laptop and quickly turned the volume down a bit from where it had been. She grinned as Chloe's head turned towards the music and she occasionally squeezed a hand. She was still in there.

* * *

The next few days were torture as they waited for something to happen with no improvements. Doctor Wilkins seemed to have disappeared again and Ashley had cut back to daily visits.

"I hate this," Beca admitted to Aubrey one morning during their cross-over time. Tyler was busy hunting supplies for the day in the children's room. "She moves and you know she can hear you but I need more. I need to see those eyes of hers and hear that voice."

Aubrey looked up from the piles of coma advice papers that she had printed out. "I understand. It says here though that it just takes time, just like the doctor said."

"I don't accept that."

Aubrey rolled her eyes. They may have found an understanding but the woman could still drive her insane. "Of course Beca. Leave it to you to just blatantly ignore medical advice because it doesn't work for you."

Beca glared at the blonde but turned back to Chloe. "Have you ever asked her to try and open her eyes?"

"You heard me."

"I mean since then. Maybe we can ask her to try again." Beca leaned over the bed and held Chloe's hand warmly in her own. "Chloe. Can you hear me?" Nothing. "Chloe, squeeze your hand if you can hear me?" Nothing.

"Beca don't push her," Aubrey worried.

"Chloe?" Beca tried again. "Squeeze my hand." Beca's voice hand grown steadily louder the more she'd repeated herself. Chloe finally reacted; lightly squeezing Beca's had as she had been for the last few days. "OK Chloe, good start. Now I need you to open your eyes." Chloe moved her head so it was at least facing in Beca's direction but her eyelids didn't move. Beca found herself growing frustrated even though she knew it wasn't Chloe's fault. "Dammit Chloe open your eyes. I need to see you!" Beca yelled.

"Beca! Stop it!" Aubrey cried, jumping from her chair, but she stopped in disbelief when she saw Chloe's eyelids start fluttering.

Beca gasped but decided to continue, just as intensely. "Come on Chloe, you can do this. Open those eyes. Do it!" Eyelids slid open and bright blue eyes were revealed.

Aubrey and Beca sighed in relief, both feeling a heaviness move off their chest. Both waited expectantly, as if Chloe was going to say something, but instead she just continued to stare.

"What do we do?" Beca asked awkwardly.

Aubrey tsked at the brunette, slightly jostling her as she leaned over to be in Chloe's line of sight. "Hey Chloe, how are you?"

Silence.

"You thought she'd answer?"

"Stop it. She can hear you."

"You stop it."

"You are so infuriating."

"At least I'm not a total bitch."

"At least I'm-"

"She's smiling!" Both women looked up suddenly to find Tyler on the other side of the bed staring at Chloe. They hadn't even heard him enter. They looked at Chloe and sure enough she had a slight smile on her face. It was barely noticeable but it was there.

* * *

The next improvement came quickly when Chloe said her first word the next day. Doctor Wilkins had returned after hearing her eyes were now opening occasionally and decided to run a few more tests. He'd seemed pleased with the results and had told Beca, Tyler and Aubrey that he wanted to start encouraging her to speak. That had instantly led to Aubrey and Beca both standing over Chloe encouraging to say their names. She had finally forced out a muffled sound that was more like a jumble of letters than an actual word. Aubrey and Beca kept trying, suggesting different words before Chloe finally said "Music" in a clear voice. It was now later that night and Beca and Tyler had gone home, leaving Aubrey with a resting Chloe.

"Bree?"

Aubrey looked up and smiled at her now awake friend. "Hey Chloe. Need some water?"

"Yes."

Aubrey quickly grabbed a cup with a straw and fitted it into Chloe's mouth. Chloe was regaining some movements but not enough to hold the cup on her own just yet. "Better?"

"Yes."

Aubrey put the cup back and took a seat on the edge of the bed. It looked like Chloe was trying to say something.

"What… hap…en…"

"What happened? You don't remember?"

"No."

Aubrey considered the best way to tell her friend about the accident before deciding to just rip the Band-Aid off. "Tom came to the school and attacked you. He hit you and your head hit the desk. You've been in a coma for over a month."

"Tom?"

Chloe seemed to be struggling to understand and Aubrey wasn't exactly sure what to say or do. "Yes Tom. I didn't know that he had been hurting you or I would have never let him get to you, I swear it Chloe."

"Hurt me?"

Aubrey sure even more confusion and realisation dawned on her. "Chloe do you not remember Tom hitting you at all?"

"No."

Aubrey gasped and sat back. That had been happening for over a year according to what she had told Beca. "You told Beca he had been hurting you for over a year."

"Beca?"

 _Oh no._ Aubrey grabbed a picture from the desk. It was of Tyler, Beca and Chloe, the one Beca had taken with Chloe's phone. She held it up so Chloe could see it. Beca had been in the room this entire time but Aubrey had had no clue that Chloe hadn't know who she was. "Do you know this person?" Aubrey asked, pointing at Beca in the picture.

"Nurse."

Aubrey shook her head sadly. "No Chloe. That's Beca. Beca and Tyler, see?" Aubrey held the picture even closer, hoping that it would inspire some sort of memory but Chloe only continued to look confused. "You don't remember Beca and Tyler?"

"No."

* * *

Beca felt genuinely happy and hopeful when she walked into the facility the next morning. Beca had convinced Tyler to spend the day relaxing with Jesse so that she could focus completely on Chloe's wellbeing. Her good mood vanished when Aubrey rushed to the door and stopped her from entering.

"What are you doing?" Beca questioned.

Aubrey glanced at Chloe who seemed to be asleep again, and pulled Beca outside. "I don't know how to tell you this."

"Just say it Aubrey."

"I was talking to Chloe last night. She doesn't remember anything from the last year."

"So? The doctor said some memory loss was normal," Beca shrugged.

"Beca. She doesn't remember Tom hitting her… and she doesn't remember you and Tyler."

Beca felt her eyes sting and her heart twist. "What do I do?"

"I don't know."

"Can… can I go in?" Beca asked sadly.

"Chloe may not remember you Beca but I do and I know that you two had a real friendship. I'm never going to stand in the way of that again so in my mind you will still stay with her during the days and I will stay with her during the nights."

Beca was filled with gratitude for the blonde. "But she doesn't know me."

"Think of it this way: you finally get a chance to talk to Chloe without her cutting you off. Take the opportunity to introduce yourself to her again. You already know her, she just needs to know you."

"You're great at this motivational stuff. You should do it for a living."

"You mean like be a teacher?"

"I feel stupid."

Aubrey rolled her eyes and the pair walked back into the room to find Chloe with her eyes open again. "Morning Chloe. This is Beca Mitchell, your friend. She is going to spend the day with you and I'll be back tonight but tell her if you need anything and I'm just a phone call away. OK?"

"OK."

"Hey Chloe."

"Hi, Beca."

Beca awkwardly hovered next to the bed for a moment before taking a seat. "So I heard you don't remember me."

"Sorry."

"Oh, hey, don't be sorry. In a way it gives me a chance to make an even better first impression on you. I think so far in our friendship I've called you mean, multiple times, and a growth. I'll try not to do that this time." Beca frowned and reconsidered her words. "Except I just told you that I did that so I've probably stuffed it again."

"How… did…we…meet?"

"My little brother, Tyler, goes to Barden Elementary. He is in fifth grade and you are his music teacher, tutor and all round favourite person. You drive him to and from school because my car carked it and you are the world's nicest person. We have this banter thing, which people find crazy but we love it."

'Tell me… about you."

Beca could tell Chloe was improving. "Well I work at the radio station where I play my mixes. You're a huge fan of them, by the way, because I played you a mix of Titanium, your lady jam," Beca winked and was happy to see that Chloe at least recognised the mention of Titanium. "I'm Tyler's guardian because our parents died in a car accident, something that you were the first person to get him to talk about. You didn't tell me that though, he did, one day when we were here with you. You… you're my best friend Chloe and it's been torture not being able to text you when I'm bored or missing you. You mean a lot to me."

Chloe didn't say anything in response. Beca wasn't sure if it was because she was overwhelmed because she didn't actually know Beca or if she just didn't have anything to say.

"Do you want to hear some of my mixes?" Beca asked instead.

"Yes."

* * *

Another week passed slowly and Chloe was talking in complete sentences and had started relearning to walk at the rehabilitation unit in the facility. She had regained control of her upper body and was acting more and more like the Chloe they knew and loved, minus a year of her life. Beca had intentionally kept Tyler away, not wanting to tell him that Chloe couldn't remember him, but he had pushed her on it the night before and she'd caved. He'd taken the news easily and had asked to visit to try and remind her.

Beca frowned as Chloe and Aubrey's conversation stopped when she and Tyler entered the room. Chloe was still treating her like a stranger, which she was, and Beca was jealous of the way she acted with Aubrey, the friend she could remember. Chloe was sitting up in bed, looking comfortable and nothing like she had just come out of a deep coma.

"Hi Beca," Chloe greeted, friendly enough.

"Hey. Someone wanted to come and say hi," Beca said as she gestured down at Tyler who waved awkwardly.

"Oh! You must be Tyler!" Chloe greeted, showing an honest smile.

Beca's shoulder slumped. How come even Tyler got the real side of Chloe? It was just like when they first met and Chloe gave the boy all her attention, ignoring Beca. Oh. Beca suddenly remembered Chloe mentioning that she had totally judged her wrong at first, right up until Beca's passionate speech about needing Chloe to help Tyler. Well, she just needed to change Chloe's mind again. While Beca was lost in her thoughts Tyler made his way to the bed and jumped up onto the side of it so he could speech to Chloe properly.

"I'm glad that you're awake. I missed you."

"Thanks angel," Chloe responded on instinct, not realising the impact of her words until Aubrey, Tyler and Beca all looked at her with odd expressions.

"What did I do?" Chloe questioned.

"That's what you call me. Angel. That's what you call all of your grade fives," Tyler explained.

Chloe grinned and tapped Tyler's heart, just as she had done many times. "Well I guess that means you're still in here then."

Tyler's eyes watered and he leaned forward carefully to cuddle into Chloe's chest. "I was so scared when he hurt you."

Chloe jolted back, a little too quickly because her vision blurred for a moment. "Wait. You were there?"

Tyler nodded and Chloe looked at Aubrey, her face panicked. "Why didn't you tell me a student saw it happen?"

Aubrey shrugged apologetically and Chloe focused on Tyler again.

"I am so sorry Tyler. Did he hurt you?"

Tyler shook his head. "Of course not. You were there."

"Tyler that's sweet but-"

"No you don't understand," Tyler tried again. "You saved me."

"What?"

Tyler took a deep breath and started his story. He'd had time to learn it well after telling for the police over and over again. "I got an A for my test and I wanted to show you 'cause I knew you would be proud. Mr Applebaum said I could. I got to your room and you were yelling and he was yelling. Then he hit you and you hurt your head. I came in to try and help you but you tried to make me leave."

Chloe closed her eyes as she saw a flash as if it was happening before her eyes but it wasn't… it was in her memory.

"He tried to hit me but you stopped him and you hurt him. He tried to hit me again but you moved in front of me so he would hit you instead. He hit you here."

Tyler tapped Chloe's temple and Chloe could suddenly feel the pain again, but she forced her eyes to open and stay conscious.

"Then you also hit the desk. Here." Tyler tapped Chloe's eyebrow where a scar now sat, the only indication that something had happened as the bruises had long since healed. "Then you didn't wake up."

Chloe closed her eyes and there was another flash. Her heart monitor started picking up her distress and Beca rushed forward to grab Tyler from the bed as Aubrey touched Chloe's shoulder.

"Chloe? What's happened?"

Chloe fought again to open her eyes but they remained closed, violent images forcing themselves to be seen. Tom hitting her, hurting her, forcing himself on her. Chloe could hear Aubrey's voice fading and knew that she was going back into a coma. The doctor had warned that too much brain activity could do this. She kept fighting but the images kept coming, stronger and stronger, in fast forward until one. It was recent and it was muted. Chloe could see Tom and his anger but nothing else. She saw Tom's hand rise but it never landed. Someone had stopped him.

"You need to open your eyes pretty face."

The voice was loud and clear through her subconscious and it connected itself to the face of the small brunette behind Tom. A new stream of images began to play in Chloe's mind but instead of drawing her under these images forced her to the surface. A broken down car. A movie night. Leftovers for dinner. Softball. Lunch in a diner. Beca. Tyler. Family.

Chloe's eyes opened and the brunette from her memories was leaning over her, tears in her eyes.

"How could I forget you, rainbow."

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you thought. Peace.**


	8. Stop

**A/N: So… I sat down to write this, with my notes and with a very real intention, as a happy chapter in the wake of the roller coaster the last two chapters have been. But it felt wrong so I deleted it, moved away from what I had intended to do and let it write itself (notice me trying to absolve myself of the blame here). What I give you is a horribly upsetting chapter that I was even sad to write but somehow it decided to fit itself in here (even though, as the people who read Fight Song know, I love writing fluff!). Umm so get ready and don't kill me when you're done. Remember it can only get better if you keep reading it :)**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect or Bad Blood (I don't actually use the song because I've already used it in Fight Song but I do quote a line from it at the end).**

* * *

" _How could I forget you, rainbow."_

 _Beca was sure that her heart stopped beating. She must be imagining things, maybe this one another one of her dreams. She pinched herself. Nope. Chloe was still staring at her with familiarity in her bright blue eyes and a small smile._

" _What did you call me?" Beca asked, desperate to hear it again._

" _Rainbow," Chloe repeated, her smile growing slightly._

" _How?" Beca asked, needing to understand how her Chloe had come back to her when she'd accepted the fact that their time together was gone._

 _Chloe reached out her hand, linking her hand with Beca's and pulling the short brunette even closer so that the sides of their bodies where touching as Beca practically laid on Chloe's bed. Chloe touched their joined hands to her heart. "I guess you were always here," she said, just as she had done to Tyler. But this moment felt nothing like her moment with Tyler. This moment was cracking intensely with fire and electricity._

 _Beca gripped Chloe's free hand with her own and pressed their hands to her heart as well. "And you will always be here."_

 _In this moment there was no Tyler, awkwardly shuffling his feet beside the bed and trying not to watch his sister declaring a silent love for his teacher. There was no Aubrey, grimacing and staring at the roof as she watched her best friend fall for a short 'alternative' woman. There were no machines, or hospital beds, or IVs, or comas. There was Beca and there was Chloe. And they were leaning closer…_

* * *

Beca lay on her couch, a grin covering her face. For the first time since she'd claimed the couch as her own she didn't notice its stickiness or how uncomfortable it was. Instead she was on a bed on clouds, the same ones she'd been walking on for a month.

Chloe was awake. In fact, Chloe was home. Well… not home perse but out of hospital. Chloe was living in Aubrey's spare room. Tom still hadn't been found and the police had warned that it wasn't safe for Chloe to stay in the apartment.

Chloe was basically independent. She could walk, she could talk, she could do almost everything she had been able to before the attack. There were still times when she would go blank. The first time it had happened Beca had been terrified. Chloe's eyes had become dull and her face had slackened mid-sentence. Her entire body had become ridged. The doctor had said it was normal and that it would ease with time but it meant Chloe couldn't be alone, drive or work until it did.

Beca's phone rang in her pocket and she answered it slowly, not entirely ready to give up her relaxation. "It's Beca."

"It's Chloe. That's a horrible way to answer your phone."

Beca laughed. "How would you like me to answer it?"

"Hmm. This is Beca Mitchell, and how can I be of service to my favourite redhead today?"

Beca rolled to sit up on the couch. "That was a really smooth way of leading into asking for a favour Beale."

"You should take notes."

"I'm smooth as fuck."

"How smooth is fuck?"

"Silky."

"Does silk call people growths?"

"Let it go Chloe."

"Let it go-"

"Don't sing."

"Stop it! You love it when I sing!"

"I hate it when you sing the world's most annoying song."

"Fine. It's a small world after all, it's a small world-"

Beca pulled her phone away from her ear and hung up before quickly ringing back. She knew Chloe could sing to herself for a while before realising Beca had actually hung up.

"You hung up on me!" Chloe cried out as soon as she answered. "You'd think that someone who missed me as much as they claim to would treat me a bit better."

"Someone is feeling high maintenance today."

"Can you not be a nice human being for one second?"

"Chloe! Just ask her! I don't have all day!" Aubrey yelled loud enough that Beca could hear her clearly through the phone.

Beca smirked. "Chloe's getting scolded from both sides today."

Chloe paused for a moment. "Sorry Aubrey. Beca doesn't want to keep my company today. She told me she hates me."

"Chloe!" Beca gasped, knowing exactly what was about to happen. Seconds later there was rustling and suddenly Aubrey's shrill voice replaced Chloe's sweet one.

"Rebecca Mitchell! How dare you say that to her! I don't care how badass you are trying to be with your ear monstrosities and your-"

"Aubrey!" Beca yelled, loud enough for the blonde to hear it over her building rant. "She was lying. I didn't say anything like that."

There was more rustling and Chloe's voice returned. "Narc."

Beca rolled her eyes. "She scares me. Besides all you need to do is give her a puppy dog face and all is well. She'd tear me in half at the slightest whiff of me doing anything remotely offensive to you."

"She is a very good friend."

"So what did you say about me keeping you company today?" Beca asked, trying to find the reason for Chloe's call before Chloe got lost down another nonsense tangent.

"Bree needs to go in to work today so I need a babysitter. She said she'd drive Tyler in for payment and she has already made my lunch."

Beca could tell that Chloe was a little frustrated with both needing a babysitter and the way Aubrey was mothering her. She decided that laughter was the best medicine. "Yeah? She cut the crust off for you? I wouldn't want you to choke."

"She pre-chews all my food now. Didn't I tell you that?"

"Gross Chloe. I do not need that image in my head. Tell Aubrey my going rate is twenty an hour."

"Aubrey, Beca says-"

"Chloe! Don't actually do it," Beca groaned. "Why'd you even bother calling? You knew I was gonna say yes."

"How would I know that if I didn't call?"

Beca rolled her eyes. "I will put you in a timeout."

"Nobody puts baby in the corner!"

Beca frowned. "What?"

"Dirty Dancing?"

"What?"

"Now I know what movie to bring today. See you soon babysitter."

"Bye pretty face."

* * *

Chloe let herself into Beca's apartment, Aubrey trailing awkwardly behind as Chloe headed into Tyler's room to say good morning, greeting Beca on the couch by poking out her tongue. Beca responded in kind, causing Aubrey to roll her eyes.

"I really appreciate this," Aubrey said stiffly from just inside the front door, causing Beca to stand and walk towards her to try and ease some of the awkward tension.

"Dude of course. Do you want to sit or…?"

"No. I won't be here long," Aubrey replied as she scrunched her nose at Beca's 'mess' of an apartment.

Beca shrugged and headed to Tyler's room to hurry the boy along. She should have guessed that the friendship they forged in the hospital wouldn't last in the real world. "Hey Ty, are you ready?"

Beca opened Tyler's door and found a sight that clenched her heart. All of the blankets had been pulled from Tyler's bed and dumped in a pile at the door. Tyler was on Chloe's shoulders at the open closest so that they could reach the top shelf and he was pulling even more blankets down. They were giggling to each other and were wearing huge smiles.

"What's this?" Beca asked, trying to ignore her first instinct to yell at the mess she would need to clean up later.

"We're making a blanket fort!" Tyler yelled from his place on Chloe's shoulders.

"Sorry bud. Miss Posen seems to be in a rush so you're gonna need to head off," Beca said, popping their crazy bubble. Only Chloe would walk into a ten year old's room and decide the best thing to do on a school day was build a blanket fort.

"Oops," Chloe said as her form of apology. "Don't worry Ty. We'll leave these blankets out and do it when you get back from school."

"You're sleeping over?" Tyler asked, happy at the suggestion.

Beca rolled her eyes and mouthed 'Now you've done it' to Chloe.

"We'll see. Beca is really mean to me when you aren't around. I don't know how long I can stand it."

"Beca!"

Beca groaned. "Chloe can you please stop saying that to people."

Chloe suddenly swayed and gripped the wall to stay upright and not drop Tyler on the floor. Beca jumped forward straight away and lifted Tyler off of Chloe's back.

"You're heavier than I remember buddy. Can you go make sure everything is in your bag?" Beca suggested, successfully distracting the boy and causing him to run out of the room. Beca touched Chloe's shoulder lightly as the redhead still gripped the wall. "You alright there Beale?"

"Peachy," Chloe said through clenched teeth. "Guess lifting ten year olds on your back isn't what the doctor would recommend to someone who had just been in a coma."

"Doubt it but we can ask," Beca joked.

Chloe forced her eyes open and let out a breath as she let go of the wall and stood on her own. "That wasn't fun. Remind me not to do that again."

"I worry that you need me to remind you not to put ten year olds on your shoulders. Is this something you do often?"

"It's just another skill I have."

"Chloe!" Came Aubrey's shout from the other room.

"Coming mother!" Chloe snapped back.

Beca laughed at the woman. Chloe had been irritable over the past month, snapping at people and saying things she normally wouldn't. Apparently that was normal with brain trauma and would go soon. Beca actually really enjoyed seeing that side of Chloe. There probably wasn't a side Chloe had that Beca wouldn't enjoy.

* * *

"That movie was boring and horrible," Beca announced as soon as the credits for Dirty Dancing began to play.

Chloe rolled her eyes, a trait she'd picked up from Beca. "What are you basing that judgement on? The first five minutes, the last five minutes, or the middle hours when you were sleeping."

"If the movie was good I wouldn't have fallen asleep," Beca argued.

"You are a pain. Alright, next movie!"

"No," Beca begged. "Chloe there are very few things I wouldn't do for you, watching another movie is one of them. No more, please. You can pick anything else and I'll do it."

Chloe smirked dangerously. "Fine. Let's talk about our-"

"Nope!" Beca jumped from the couch with wide eyes. "Not that."

Chloe rolled her eyes again. "Come on Becs. You've dodged the topic for the last month. We need to talk about this."

"I disagree." Beca moved over to the shelf of DVDs. "So what movie?"

"Beca," Chloe tried again. "I don't want things to get weird between us."

"They won't," Beca argued. "Emotions were high, we were irrational and a mistake was made. End of story. How about a game?" Beca changed tactics and headed to the hallway closest where some games were stashed, missing Chloe's look of disappointment and heartbreak. "How about Poker?"

"Strip poker," Chloe answered straight away.

Beca rolled her eyes, not surprised by the suggestion. "Chess."

"Strip chess."

Beca glanced over her shoulder. "That can't be a thing."

Chloe raised a brow and smirked. "Want to bet?"

Beca chewed her lip and pulled out one of Tyler's games.

Chloe pouted when she saw what is was. "That's low Mitchell. Appealing to the teacher side of me that won't make a kid's game dirty."

Beca grinned and set it up on the table with Chloe giving in and joining her eventually.

* * *

Chloe had felt an awkward pall fall over the pair as they played the game. Usually moments between them were filled with laughter, teasing and a flirtatious banter but now they were acting like strangers that were too scared to offend the other. Chloe pushed the game away and drew Beca's full attention. "I don't like this Bec," Chloe said honestly.

"The game?"

"This… tension between us. We need to talk Beca. I don't want our friendship to just be full of these awkward moments. I want us, our jokes and teasing. Please."

Beca sighed and scratched her neck. "There's nothing wrong here Chloe, you're imagining things."

Chloe hit her hand on the table; frustrated that the brunette was just avoiding this and letting it come between them "Don't do that! Don't make me seem crazy because you refuse to acknowledge this! Things have changed, Beca, as much you wish they hadn't and I want to sort this out. I refuse to lose you Beca, not when I just got you back."

"I'm not doing anything," Beca responded, keeping her voice even and calm, which only further frustrated the redhead. "I'm acting as I normally would. Any difference is coming from you."

Chloe clenched her fists and forced herself to calm down. Ever since the coma she had been struggling with fits of anger but they were becoming less frequent as time went on. "I'm not imagining this."

"I think you are."

Chloe felt her chest hurt at the words. At first she'd really struggled telling the difference between reality and the fiction her injured brain created, something Beca knew, and it physically hurt to hear the brunette use that against her. "I can't believe you right now Beca."

Beca rolled her eyes at her friend. She knew what she was doing was wrong but something inside of her was stopping her from opening up and telling Chloe how she felt. Instead all she could find were dark walls and thoughts that convinced her to turn this on Chloe. "Calm down Chloe. We are fine, don't worry. Let's just play this game until Tyler gets back then we can make that blanket fort. If you're lucky I may even agree to another movie."

Chloe felt her vision blur for a moment as she pushed her brain to understand what was happening. Was this all in her mind? Beca did seem to be acting calm, just like normal. Chloe took a few deep breaths and decided to let it go, just as the brunette had. "OK. Let's play Mitchell."

"Bring it Beale."

The words still sounded wrong to Chloe but she didn't bring it back up, just waiting patiently for Aubrey to return so she could have time and space to figure things out.

* * *

"Hey Beca! Hey Miss Beale!" Tyler cheered as he ran through the door, Aubrey close behind him.

Beca and Chloe looked up from their seventh consecutive game of the day with smiles on their faces. They had both fought hard to ignore the lingering tension from Beca's dismissal of what happened between them.

"Hey kid," Beca greeted.

"Hi Tyler. You know… I'm not really your teacher anymore, or at least not right now. You can call me Chloe when we are out of school," Chloe said. She was rewarded with a beaming smile and a side hug from the boy.

"OK… Chloe," Tyler said, trying out the name. "Can we build our fort now or do I need to do my homework first?"

Chloe bit the side of her lip, leaving the rest of it to pull at an odd angle. "Actually Tyler, do you mind if we make the fort another time? My head is hurting a bit," Chloe lied.

Aubrey and Beca gave Chloe looks of concern. "Why didn't you say something?" Beca asked, worried that she hadn't noticed any signs of pain from the redhead.

Chloe shrugged her shoulders but avoided looking into Beca's eyes. "It's no big deal. My pain medication is at Aubrey's though so we should probably get going." Chloe turned pleading eyes on Aubrey who was frowning at the words. Chloe's medication was in the back right next to the woman. Aubrey decided to let it go for the moment.

"Oh. Well sure, if you are in pain," Beca said unsurely. She had really been hoping for Chloe to stay for a while but she understood that maybe the woman needed rest. "Do you need to work again tomorrow Aubrey?" Beca asked hopefully.

Aubrey opened her mouth to reply in the positive but Chloe cut her off. "Nope it was a one day thing."

"Oh." Beca's shoulders dropped. "Well maybe I can come around?"

"Maybe. I'll call you. We really should go," Chloe said again, standing, grabbing her bag and moving to the door.

Beca blinked. She had no clue what had happened but she knew there was something wrong here. "Chloe-"

"Bye Beca. Bye Tyler," Chloe interrupted, waving and walking out the door. Aubrey shrugged and followed her.

"That was weird, right?" Beca asked Tyler when the door closed.

Tyler scrunched up his face. "I'm a kid. Everything you guys do is weird."

* * *

Aubrey turned in her seat to face Chloe as soon as they were in the car. "What was that?"

"What was what?" Chloe replied innocently.

"Don't give me that. What happened with you and Beca?"

Chloe blinked, her eyes watering and her face crumbled instantly.

"Oh!" Aubrey gasped, leaning awkwardly over the gap in the seats to cradle Chloe in her arms.

"She said… she said… it was a mistake," Chloe got out between sniffles.

Aubrey sighed and rubbed a comforting hand over her best friend's shaking back. That hobbit really enjoyed proving her right.

* * *

"Beca?" Jesse questioned as he answered his phone. "Why are you calling me?"

"Am I not allowed to call you anymore?" Beca snapped back, obviously in a foul mood.

"Well sure but you texted me earlier that Chloe was staying with you tonight and not to bug you," Jesse explained.

Beca rolled her eyes. "She left. It's whatever. Listen, you mentioned a while back that you knew some chick at work to set me up with. Is that still cool?"

Jesse pulled the phone away from his ear for a moment, looking at it like an alien from one of his movies, before speaking again. "Huh?"

"I know you heard me."

"I really don't think I did. Did you just seriously ask me to set you up on a blind date with my lesbian work friend?" Jesse questioned.

"Yeah."

"Huh?" Jesse asked again.

"Cut it out! Just-can you do it or not?"

"Beca? You have a girlfriend."

"What? No I don't."

"Alright maybe not officially but you have a Chloe. I really don't think you should be doing whatever this is."

Beca sighed into the phone. "I don't have 'a Chloe'. I don't even know what that means. I'm single and ready to hook up. I don't really have the time to go to the club for a sure thing so I thought this would work."

Jesse was silent as he tried to wrap his head around what was happening. Suddenly a light went on in his mind. "Something happened!" He shouted, a little too loudly into Beca's ear.

"Dude!"

"Something happened! Something happened and now you're freaking out," Jesse rushed. "Just like when that chick you'd been with for 3 months referred to you as her 'girlfriend' and you deleted her number and moved."

"She was too clingy."

"Yeah but Chloe isn't. Chloe is perfect for you. I've seen you guys Bec, I know that the feelings are real AND mutual. Why are you suddenly acting like a messed up teenager with commitment issues?"

Beca groaned. "I didn't call you to have some girly deep and meaningful."

"Well if you want this date then it needs to happen."

"Fine. Chloe is my friend. My best friend-don't be weird. When we… when whatever happened it was like… intense and I realised that when things get screwed up I'll lose her. Not just as a girlfriend, or whatever, but as a friend. I need Chloe in my life Jesse. Tyler needs Chloe in his life. I've ruined every relationship I've ever had, I don't want Chloe to become apart of that."

Jesse considered the situation. On one hand he knew he needed to tell Beca to sack up because Chloe was her 'one'. But on the other hand he knew that would make the woman run even further. She needed to do this herself. He could push but he couldn't force it. "OK. I'll call her and step it up. How's tomorrow night? I can watch Tyler for the night and take him to school the next day."

Beca clenched her jaw. Part of her had actually been hoping he'd say no to the idea and she wouldn't need to follow through with what she was fully aware was a stupid idea. "Sounds good. Text me the time. Bye." Beca dropped her phone on the table in front of her and clenched her fists. She hated herself.

* * *

"I hate seeing you like this," Aubrey stated, as she handed a hot chocolate to her best friend.

Chloe was rugged up on the couch in her favourite pink puppy pyjamas. She had spent the day watching romantic comedies and mourning reality as Stacie had done her work from the other room. Stacie had, luckily, had a planning day so when Chloe had vetoed Beca as a babysitter Aubrey had called the brunette for help. "I just don't understand it Bree. I thought… I don't know, I thought she cared about me the same way. Maybe the flirting was all just a game to her and I've just misread all the signals. I'm still on medication and I did just wake up from a coma so my brain can't exactly be trusted with these things."

"I saw it too Chloe. It was real."

Chloe shrugged. "Well then it's a mistake. That's what she called it."

"Are you two going to still be friends at least?"

"I don't know. It'll be hard but maybe, hopefully, eventually."

"Does she know that? Have you spoken to her today?" Aubrey wasn't entirely sure why she was encouraging Chloe to continue any sort of relationship with the hobbit. Maybe it was some sort of leftover companionship from the hospital. It made her feel dirty.

"No," Chloe shook her head. "Should I?"

"Maybe. She probably thinks you're mad at her."

"I am. Maybe. So do I call and just say, 'hey, sorry that you don't return my feelings but let's continue an awkward friendship with one-sided love'?"

Aubrey frowned. "Maybe you should go say that in person."

"Maybe."

* * *

Beca: I'm at the restaurant. Wish me luck.

Jesse: Luck. It's just a date Bec. Don't make it more.

Beca clenched her jaw as she read the text. She was mad. She was mad that Jesse felt the need to tell her what to do. She was mad that he'd organised this date. She was mad at the other woman for agreeing. And she was mad at herself for what she was about to do. She looked up from her phone as a tall woman approached. She was gorgeous but her hair was blonde and her eyes were green and her smile wasn't natural.

"Hey, I'm Lucy."

"Beca."

The woman took the seat across from Beca gracefully. "You're much more attractive than Jesse described," the woman said with a wink and a lick of her lips.

Beca raised an eyebrow and glanced back at her phone as she got another text from Jesse.

Jesse: Don't be stupid.

Beca looked back up at the woman across from her. Linda was it? "You know what? I've heard the food here sucks. What to come back to my place for something edible?" Beca lowered her voice to highlight the innuendo. The woman's telling smirk showed she understood. They stood and left.

* * *

"Are you sure you want to do this now? We can just go home and I can bring you by in the morning," Aubrey offered as Chloe entered her tenth straight minute of staring up at Beca's apartment from the car.

"No. I want to do this now while I'm feeling brave," Chloe said, her voice determined but her eyes showing her nerves.

"What are you going to say?" Aubrey asked.

"I'm going to tell her how I feel. I'm going to say that I think there is something between us, and there has been for a while, and I want to see where it goes. I'm going to tell her that I will understand if she doesn't feel the same and I want to stay friends anyway," Chloe said bravely.

"OK. Well… I'm here for you."

"Thanks Bree," Chloe said, quickly hugging her best friend. "I don't know what I'd do without you. I love you."

"I love you too."

Chloe took a deep breath and headed into the building.

"OK, OK, OK, OK, slow down," Beca muttered as she broke the kiss. They'd barely entered the apartment when the blonde had attacked her, crashing their lips together and tugging at clothes.

"What do you mean?" she panted. "You wanted this."

Beca ran a hand through her hair and tried to put space between them. "You're right… I did…"

"Did you change your mind?"

Beca looked into the green eyes, hating that all she wanted was blue. She needed to do this. She couldn't let herself need blue eyes anymore. "No. I didn't change my mind."

"Good," the woman purred, reconnecting their lips and bodies.

Everything was so messy and moving too quickly for Beca to even be aware of where her clothes landed as she fell onto the couch, naked, with the other woman on top of her. Their bodies slid together and Beca tried to mute her screaming brain. She was too tall. She didn't kiss right. There was no spark. Beca felt nothing. A hand palmed Beca's breast and she moaned at the feeling, trying to convince herself that she was turned on when she wasn't. She forced another moan, hoping a soundtrack would trick her brain. But then the soundtrack skipped.

"Beca…"

Beca pulled her head away and looked at the door, looked at the redhead in pink puppy pyjamas with her messy hair and naked face. She looked at the red hair and the expressive blue eyes and she couldn't breath.

"Chloe."

Chloe turned, trying to rush from the room, but Beca was faster. She dropped the blonde onto the floor and raced to the door, not caring one bit that she was naked as she ran to grab Chloe's arm and stop her from leaving. Chloe yanked her arm to pull away and keep moving but Beca dug her heels in and refused to let go.

"This isn't what it looks like Chloe, you need to listen to me!"

Chloe shook her head, tears escaping and splashing onto the floor. "You don't need to explain. You're single and we're just friends. It was a mistake, right?"

"Oh god Chloe, no. No it wasn't. Fuck I'm an idiot. I love you Chloe and I was just trying to stop. Chloe this-this is just me being… I don't even know how to… just-Chloe."

Chloe shook her head again and tried to pull her arm away. "Let me go." Her voice was pained and it was killing Beca to hear.

"No Chloe-"

"Let me go," Chloe repeated, her voice gaining a hard edge that forced Beca to drop her arm.

Chloe was out of the door before Beca could even blink.

"Beca?" The blonde called from the floor beside the couch.

"Get out." Beca's voice was cold and lacking emotion.

"What?"

"I said: get the fuck out of my apartment!" Beca roared, her eyes flashing with fury.

The woman acted immediately, fear on her face. She gathered her clothes, barely putting them on, before rushing out of the door in Chloe's wake and slamming the door behind herself.

Beca was bare and alone. She couldn't blame the woman, or Jesse, or even Chloe she could only blame herself. It had taken her one-day to ruin everything that had been fixed over the last few months. It had taken her one-day to sabotage the best thing that had ever happened to her because she had been scared. Beca sank to her knees, the cheap carpet grating against her bare knees. She needed to fix this. She would fix this.

* * *

Aubrey waited by her car for a while before texting Chloe. She'd been expecting some sort of response to say whether she was staying with Beca or still needed a lift. No one had exited or entered the building except for a crying blonde who seemed half-dressed as she ran away.

Aubrey: Hey Chloe. How'd it go? Are you staying or do you need me to wait?

Aubrey tapped her foot impatiently as the minutes ticked by with no response. Eventually she decided to call, assuming it had gone well and they were just being typical Beca and Chloe and ignoring the rest of the world. The phone went straight to voicemail without ringing. That was strange. Aubrey huffed out a breath and made her way up to Beca's apartment, knocking loudly when she got there. No one answered so she pushed open the door. The last thing she expected to see was a naked and sobbing Beca in the middle of the floor. Aubrey grabbed the thin throw blanket from the back of the couch and covered the shaking woman.

"Beca?" Aubrey asked. "What happened here?"

Beca's eyes were red and shining with emotion. "I fucked up."

"OK… Elaborate."

"I was… I was trying to screw some random to get over my feelings for Chloe when she walked in."

Aubrey let go of the woman and stood abruptly, biting down on her cheek harshly to keep herself from killing the brunette. "Where is Chloe?"

"She left."

"When?"

"I don't know. Straight away."

Aubrey did the math. Chloe had come up here almost half an hour ago but she had never come back down.

Beca could read the panic on Aubrey's face and stood quickly, pulling the blanket around her body. "What is it? Where is she?"

Aubrey's eyes were wide. "I was at the door the entire time! I would have seen her if she left. I'm her ride."

The news was bullets to Beca's heart. She had hurt Chloe and now the woman was missing.

"She still isn't all the way back from her coma," Aubrey reminded.

Right. Tom had hurt Chloe and put her into a coma. Then Beca had hurt her and the woman, still healing from a coma, was missing. Even better.

"Well… she's in the building, right? You were at the door so she couldn't leave and she hasn't come back here. Did you take the lift or the stairs?"

"Lift."

"Then let's check the stairs." Beca began to move to the door but a furious Aubrey blocked her.

"No. I'll check the stairs. You stay here and thank whatever you believe in that I didn't kill you." Aubrey turned and left.

Beca dropped to her knees again. Aubrey was right. She had no right to help Chloe when she was the one who had broken her.

* * *

"Chloe?" Aubrey called as she rushed into the stairwell. She looked up and down before deciding to head towards the ground floor exit. "Chloe?" Aubrey called again as she jogged down the stairs, finding no sign of her friend. She quickly ran out of stairs and turned to head upwards. She was puffing by the time she found the roof door wedged open. She pushed through it, making sure it didn't close behind her, and looked around the roof. She almost missed it but in the corner of the roof was a sobbing pink ball that could only be Chloe. Aubrey moved to her quickly and pulled her into her arms for the second time in as many days.

"Aubrey?" Chloe asked as she looked up, relieved to see her best friend but also wishing it had been someone else who had found her.

"Yes it's me Chlo, it's gonna be OK."

"No it's not."

"Yes it will," Aubrey assured.

"No it won't," Chloe argued again. "Aubrey the woman who gave me the strength to stand up to Tom just tore my heart from my chest. It would be one thing if she had done it because she didn't like me but Aubrey she told me that she loves me and was trying to stop. How can she love me but do that? What is so terrible about me that she needs to make herself stop loving me?"

Aubrey looked into her friend's eyes as Chloe begged for answers that Aubrey didn't have. "I don't know Chloe. I wish I did but I don't. But… maybe this is for the best? You're not ready for a relationship right now Chloe, you need to heal your body and your heart. Maybe once you are healed then love will find you. True love."

Chloe wanted Beca to be her true love. "Band-aides don't fix bullet holes." Chloe wiped the tears from her eyes and stood, walking slowly and almost casually, from the roof.

Aubrey feared that she'd just lost her friend in the worst way possible.

* * *

 _In this moment there was no Tyler, awkwardly shuffling his feet beside the bed and trying not to watch his sister declaring a silent love for his teacher. There was no Aubrey, grimacing and staring at the roof as she watched her best friend fall for a short 'alternative' woman. There were no machines, or hospital beds, or IVs, or comas. There was Beca and there was Chloe. And they were leaning closer…_

… _and their lips met. In this moment they both realised that this was love, a consuming, passionate, fierce, destroying, forever love… and that was terrifying._

* * *

 ** _A/N: So let me know what you thought. Also: my little puppy is sick (she's actually a four year old dog but she is my baby) so I'm going to be busy taking her to the Vet and running around with her on top of work. I will do my best to continue regular updates but I'm sorry if I can't find the time. I hope to see you all still hanging with me in the_** ** _next, hopefully fluffy, instalment. Peace._**


	9. Lock picking

**A/N: MGPF - This chapter is for (and because of) you. Your message is the only thing that gave me energy to write. I really appreciate what you said to me. Words can really make a difference.**

 **Also another big thanks to everyonelovesagoodBhloe for betaing this and his need for fluff.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect, Apologise, Forgive Me, We are Young or Hard to say I'm sorry.**

* * *

Beca knocked on the door at exactly the same time she had every morning for the last two weeks. Aubrey opened it just as quickly as she had been doing everyday, already knowing who be at the other end.

"No," Aubrey said simply, trying to close the door straight away. She'd learnt that not answering would lead to Beca knocking non-stop until she finally acknowledged the brunette.

As usual, Beca stuck out her foot to stop the door from slamming shut. It had hurt the first few times but she barely noticed the pain now.

Aubrey sighed and widened the door. "When will you take a hint?"

"When will you let me speak to her?"

"She doesn't want to speak to you."

"I don't believe that. Does she even know that I come by everyday?"

Aubrey shrugged non-committedly.

Beca smirked and leaned in the doorway before Aubrey could stop her. "Chloe!" she yelled into the apartment.

Aubrey's eyes widened and she tried to close the door again but Beca's foot was still there. A bedroom door opened and a frowning redhead emerged.

"Beca?"

"Don't worry Chloe, I'll make her go away," Aubrey said, glaring at the shorter girl.

"Aubrey just let her in," Chloe sighed and walked back to her room, Beca following behind her smugly. Chloe sat down on her bed and indicated for Beca to do the same.

"I've been trying to see you everyday since…"

Chloe nodded. "I could hear. I just wasn't ready to speak to you yet."

"I owe you an explanation."

Chloe shook her head. "I don't think you do. I've been thinking about it and you didn't really do anything wrong. We weren't together so you didn't cheat or anything. I guess I just thought we had something."

"We do have something Chloe."

"No. You see I can accept what you've done as a friend but I can't accept it if you say that. You can't have had feelings for me and then go out and do that. You just can't."

"I do have feelings for you."

"Beca-"

"I need you to listen to me. It's a long story, and I'm going to start at the beginning."

Chloe debated for a moment before finally resigning herself to whatever Beca had to say. "Fine."

"I was an accident. Literally. My mum was 16 and my father never acknowledged my existence."

"When you said beginning-"

"Shut up for a second." Chloe raised a brow at this. "Sorry, just… this is hard, OK? Then my step-dad came along. He was a nice guy, but I was still just the baggage he got handed when he married my mum. Then they had their own, real and intended, kid. It was just me against the world and I could deal with it because I'd never known differently. I didn't know what it was like to actually have someone in my life that wanted me for who I am. My parents died and I ended up with a kid to join in on my messed up life and within a month of me being in charge he had been booted from his first school. No one fought for him, or me, until I met a certain redhead in an office one day. You didn't even know us Chloe, but you wanted us. You had him playing the drums again and actually wanting to stay in school. You barely noticed me at first but when you did… Chloe you looked at me like no one else in this world ever had. You looked at me like I mattered. I could be friends with you. I have friends and I know how they work and I kinda figured you would just take charge of it all and I could follow your lead. Friendship is easy but love? Yeah, I don't know how that works. So I tried to convince myself that you were just my friend so you would stay and we could still be happy but Chloe… now that I know what it's like to kiss you and have you kiss me back… nothing else is ever going to measure up to that. Can you forgive me?"

"I don't think I can."

"Chloe-"

"No. Beca, you had your chance. Now it's my turn to talk. I have had people treat me horribly my entire life. You know that, you saw the worst of it. But I just don't understand why you decided the best thing to do would be to ignore me and sleep with someone else instead of just telling me how you were feeling. I might have read it all wrong but you've been flirting with me, pursuing me, since the day we met and then suddenly I returned those feelings and you didn't want that anymore? This came out of nowhere Beca and I can't help feeling that if I forgive you and we go back to being friend, or more than that, then one day you might just wake up and decide to do it again."

"I won't."

"You say that but how can I know that? You have always been there for me Beca and I am so grateful for that, but I need to start standing up for myself. I need someone who can love me 365 days a year, not 364."

"Chloe, I made a mistake but I am here for you now. I will never sway from that again. It was just one day to get it out of my system or whatever."

"It wasn't just one day though Beca. It's not the blonde that has hurt me. It was the month that I begged you to sort this out with me. Communication is the basis of every relationship. Remember when you asked me to tell you about Tom? I did it even though I didn't want to."

"No you didn't, Chloe. You lied to me about it until I caught you a week later."

Chloe gasped before schooling her face back into the emotionless mask she had been portraying for a fortnight. "You should go."

"No Chloe, I didn't mean it like that. I know it's not the same-"

"I asked you to leave."

Beca stood and slowly walked towards the door. "I'll be back tomorrow."

"Don't."

"I will be because I am your 365 day person. I won't rest until you believe that again."

As Beca walked out of Chloe's bedroom, she noticed that Aubrey was dressed and about to leave for work. "Are you back at work?"

"I'm the principal, Beca. As much as I would love to always be here for Chloe, I can't," Aubrey snapped.

"So who watches her when you're not here?"

"The doctor has cleared her to be by herself."

Beca grinned and left the apartment, pulling her phone out straight away.

"Hey Amy. Do you still know how to pick locks?"

* * *

Chloe walked out of the bathroom with a towel wrapped around her waist. She was home alone with Aubrey at work and she was enjoying making the most of her time off. "I got a pocket, got a pocket full of sunshine," Chloe sung to herself as she padded into the kitchen to grab a glass of water before getting dressed for the day.

"Hey Chlo."

Her glass smashed on the floor as she screamed.

"Sorry!" Beca apologized as she jumped up from the couch and rushed into the kitchen to help the redhead.

"What the hell Beca?" Chloe gasped, still shocked at the sudden appearance when she knew the door was locked and she thought she'd been home alone. Luckily the towel had stayed up. Just barely.

"Sorry," Beca apologized again, softly pushing the other woman from the kitchen so she could deal with it. "Dustpan and brush?"

"Cupboard," Chloe pointed. "How are you here? Why are you here?"

"You always said I was a creeper," Beca joked as she brushed up the glass and tipped it into a bin, triple checking the tiles to make sure Chloe wouldn't get hurt.

"Yeah but breaking into someone's apartment kind of elevates that, don't you think?" Chloe commented, glancing at her front door to see it unharmed. "Did I leave it unlocked?"

"Amy taught me how to pick the lock."

"How criminal of you."

Beca shrugged and grabbed another glass to get Chloe some water. "I wanted to see you but I was worried you wouldn't let me in."

"Am I gonna need to keep the police on speed dial or is this a one time thing?"

Beca grinned at Chloe's teasing tone. It was working. "Depends if you start letting me in or not."

"Might talk to Aubrey about a chain."

"I've got bolt cutters."

"Sure that wouldn't look suspicious. Let's just walk into an apartment building holding bolt cutters. Nut."

Beca grinned and made her way back to the couch. "So what movie is on the agenda for today?"

Chloe looked at Beca skeptically. "Do you really think you can break in, smash a glass and offer to watch a movie and I'll accept?"

"Yes?"

Chloe grinned and shrugged. "You're lucky I'm bored. I'll let you pick while I get dressed."

Beca beamed and quickly began her search for the sappiest love story she could find.

* * *

"Another one?" Beca offered when the movie finished.

Chloe chewed her lip. "Beca… this has been nice. I've actually missed it. I've missed how well you fit into my life and how you do things like getting me water without me asking but… I look at you and I see that beautiful woman who I fell for. Then I close my eyes and I see you with her. I can't pretend like everything is fine Beca and I can't forgive you yet, even if I want to."

"I understand Chloe. You deserve to take all the time you need. Just know I'm not going anywhere. I am your 365-day person. So I'll give you your space now but I'll be back tomorrow and every single day after that." Beca stood from the couch and walked to the door, glancing at Chloe once more over her shoulder as she reached the door.

"Knock tomorrow," Chloe said without looking at the brunette.

"You'll let me in?"

"Wait and see."

* * *

"I say you can't beat a big romantic gesture," Jesse said confidently.

"You're wrong. You need to do nice stuff everyday. The little things count," Tyler countered.

"What do you know? You're ten," Jesse argued.

"I might be ten but I've had more girlfriends than you," Tyler returned.

Jesse gasped. "Who are you and what have you done with mini me? Beca you are a horrible influence on the kid."

Beca sighed. "I think he overheard that one from his principal actually. I'm so glad I asked you two for advice," Beca muttered sarcastically. "Can you quit bickering and help me out here?"

"Chloe watched a movie with you today, didn't she?" Tyler asked.

Beca nodded.

"See! Just keep going like that. It's working."

"Well sure she should keep doing that but I also think she needs some big grand gesture to really say 'I'm sorry, I love you' to prove she is aiming for more than friendship here," Jesse explained.

Tyler considered Jesse's argument before nodding. "Good idea."

Beca frowned. "So what? Now I need to do something romantic? I don't have a romantic bone in my body."

"What one?" Jesse joked, raising his hand to Tyler for a high five but the little boy just frowned at him. He dropped his hand and turned back to Beca. "Use music. You both live and breathe it."

"What? You want me to sing to her?"

Jesse and Tyler nodded.

"That's not big."

"Well what else does Chloe like?" Jesse asked, not knowing the woman as well as the other two.

"Me," Tyler grinned.

"Helpful Ty," Beca rolled her eyes.

"Wait," Jesse said, eyes sparking with an idea. "He's right. Chloe loves music and her students."

"So?"

"Her students sing."

Beca grinned as the plan formed in her head.

* * *

Aubrey inhaled a delicious scent as she walked into her apartment. "Chloe that smells amazing!" she said as she walked into kitchen.

"Thanks," Chloe grinned, in the best mood Aubrey had seen her in since the coma. "You've done so much for me the last few weeks, well months, that I wanted to make sure you had a nice dinner."

"Well I appreciate it," Aubrey accepted easily. She saw an empty container on the bench and immediately moved to put it in the bin. "Umm Chloe? Did you smash a glass today?"

Chloe frowned into the pot she was stirring. "Did I?"

"Well I didn't."

Chloe shrugged. "Must have then. Sorry."

"Chloe you are a horrible liar," Aubrey reminded. "What happened?"

"Nothing. It must have just slipped from my fingers or something."

Aubrey pulled on Chloe's shoulder to force her to turn around. "And what inappropriate thing were you doing when this glass slipped from your fingers because we both know you are trying to hide something. We also know I will get it out of you eventually so let's not make this hard."

Chloe covered her mouth with a hand as she spoke so Aubrey couldn't make out the words.

Aubrey glared at the redhead as she intentionally muffled her voice. "Now once more as the big girl you are, please."

Chloe huffed out a breath. "It's not a big deal Bree. Beca was here, that's all."

"Did she break my glass?"

"No I did."

"Then how is she involved in the glass breaking?"

"Well… I guess she kinda scared me which is why I dropped the glass, sorta."

"How did she scare you?" Aubrey questioned, trying to fight through Chloe's nonsense.

"Well I wasn't really expecting her to be on the couch when I came out of the bathroom so… smash," Chloe shrugged sheepishly.

Aubrey glared. "She broke in? Did you call the police?"

"No. We watched a movie."

"Chloe! You are certifiable! How do you keep forgiving people? If someone hurts you, you don't just roll over and take it Chloe! That's exactly how you ended up in an abusive relationship."

The harsh words slapped Chloe in the face. "Wow."

"No Chloe I-I'm sorry. But seriously, you are too forgiving. She did something horrible and then she broke in while you were in the shower and you just let her! She's like Tom! All charming and smooth so you accept the apology when she swears not to do it again!" Aubrey ranted. She knew she was being too harsh but she hated that Chloe kept letting people hurt her again and again.

"You're wrong," Chloe's voice was surprisingly strong and sure. "Beca isn't Tom. Tom was… well… but Beca loves me. She really does, Bree. She was momentarily scared by that, but she didn't actually do anything wrong and she apologized straightaway. Beca deserves to be forgiven and she has fought for it. Tom just expected it." Chloe was slightly surprised by her own words but she realized how true they were. "And she deserves my love."

"Chloe-"

"No, Bree. You are my best friend but this is my decision and Beca isn't a bad one. Please trust me."

"I do trust you Chloe but I'm worried you're not thinking clearly."

"I'm thinking about a woman who came to a boring staff softball game just to see me play. I'm thinking of a woman who spent everyday for almost two months in a hospital with me. I'm thinking of a woman who learnt how to lock pick just to spend time with me. I'm thinking of a woman who has let me into her heart and her family and looks at me like I hung the moon and the stars. I'm thinking of a woman who needs me so much she was willing to trade a relationship for friendship because she wanted me in her life in anyway possible. That's who I'm thinking of. Please never compare her to Tom ever again."

Aubrey held her hands up defensively. "Fine. Subject dropped. Let's have this delicious dinner, OK?"

"OK."

* * *

Aubrey looked up from her paperwork as her phone began to ring. "Miss Posen."

"Miss Mitchell is here to see you," Jessica answered.

Aubrey straightened. What was she doing here? "Sure. Send her in." Aubrey quickly tucked her work into a drawer and waved Beca in when she knocked at the door.

"Hey," Beca greeted awkwardly as she sat in the chair across the desk from Aubrey.

"What can I do for you Miss Mitchell?" Aubrey said formally.

"Umm. This is actually something kinda personal so Beca would be fine-"

"This is my place of work, Miss Mitchell. Maybe you could call me after work if it's personal?" Aubrey replied stiffly. She had considered accepting Chloe's desire to pursue a relationship with this woman but that didn't mean that she would let Beca interfere with her work. Beca was still technically a parent after all.

"Actually it's kinda time sensitive and I guess it does involve work as well."

"What do you want?" Aubrey snapped.

"I was wondering if I could borrow the year 5 class."

"No." Who the hell did this woman think she was? This was why teachers couldn't have personal relationships with parents or students because they would start asking for insane things like permission to 'borrow a class'.

"Just hear me out-"

"Beca, this is a school not a rental company. I am not giving you a class of ten year olds." Considering all of the child safety concerns, as well as the fact that Beca Mitchell could barely be trusted with Tyler, let alone other people's children, Aubrey knew it was a lawsuit just waiting to happen.

"Just for the day. I'm not taking them anywhere."

Aubrey sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "In what world did you think coming into my office and asking for permission to be in charge of an entire class for the day would work out for you?"

"In the world where you are a fantastic best friend and would do anything for Chloe."

"This is for Chloe?" Aubrey let her professional façade crack slightly.

"Yeah."

Chloe words from the night before flashed through her mind. "What are you planning?"

"It's a surprise."

"No. It can be a surprise for Chloe but if you expect me to let you anywhere near these children you will tell me everything."

"OK. Deal. But don't tell Chloe."

"Fine. When are you going to do this?"

"Today. It'll be easy and I've already convinced her to come by after school today."

"You've seen her today?"

"Yes."

"And you were so sure I'd say yes that you already organized it with her?"

"I was actually banking on a no from you. I figured I'd just do it behind your back afterwards," Beca answered honestly.

Aubrey sighed. "Just… tell me the plan before I change my mind."

* * *

"Beca?" Chloe called out as she walked into the hall. Beca had asked her to be here at 3pm exactly. It was strange and cryptic, but she had to admit that she was intrigued.

"Hey!" Beca called as she walked on the stage at the end of the hall.

"What is this?"

"A surprise. Take a seat."

Chloe immediately sat down on the closest seat, which caused Beca to roll her eyes. "Chloe. Do you mind taking a seat in maybe the first row not the last?"

Chloe smirked. "Be clear next time."

"There won't be a next time if you're a pain about this," Beca commented. Once Chloe was in the front row, she walked back off the stage and behind the curtain again, much to Chloe's confusion.

"Beca?" Chloe called.

"Be quiet and watch!" Beca yelled from behind the curtain.

Chloe looked around as the lights dimmed and a spotlight appeared on the stage. She hadn't seen anyone else in the hall to control the lights. Soon the front curtain lifted and Chloe could see Tyler behind a set of drums, Chris with a guitar, Tori with a keyboard and Addy with a bass. Chloe gasped in surprise as they began to play the music for We are Young by Fun, but she was even more shocked when Beca walked onto the stage and started singing Chris Brown's Apologize.

You don't even call anymore

It's so different from the way it was before

Everyday I hear your pretty voice

I have no choice, but to be all alone without you

There's so many mistakes we make in love

Cause still I'm thinking this is something we can solve

I take all the blame for breaking your heart

But you can't let it tear us apart

Because

The rest of the grade 5 class walked into view in a line and sat on the front of the stage with their legs dangling as they say the chorus for We are Young.

Tonight

We are young

So let's set the world on fire

We can burn brighter than the sun

Beca took over again, going back into the next verse of apologize with Fun's music still playing.

I didn't see myself settling down

But I knew from the first time you came around

From the moment I looked into your eyes

I never want to see you cry over me

But I knew if we got serious in love

We would never, ever wanna break it up

I wasn't ready for you until this day

Could you believe when I say that

The students took over again and Beca disappeared from view.

Tonight

We are young

So let's set the world on fire

We can burn brighter than the sun

Beca appeared from the side of the hall as she slowly began walking towards Chloe, singing the words from Chicago's Hard to Say I'm Sorry while the students backed her up with the 'na na nas' from We are Young.

Couldn't stand to be kept away just for the day from your body.

Wouldn't wanna be swept away, far away from the one that I love.

Hold me now. It's hard for me to say I'm sorry. I just want you to know.

Hold me now. I really want to tell you I'm sorry. I could never let you go.

After all that we've been through, I will make it up to you. I promise to.

And after all that's been said and done,

You're just the part of me I can't let go.

The students took over again, Beca still walking towards Chloe.

Tonight

We are young

So let's set the world on fire

We can burn brighter than the sun

Beca was almost directly in front of Chloe now as she sang a verse from Evanescence's Forgive Me.

'Cause you were made for me

Somehow I'll make you see

How happy you make me

I can't live this life

Without you by my side

I need you to survive

So stay with me

You look in my eyes and I'm screaming inside that I'm sorry.

The curtain dropped and the music stopped as Beca finally reached Chloe, singing the last part of the mix by herself.

So if by the time the bar closes

And you feel like falling down

I'll carry you home tonight

"I'm sorry Chloe. And I love you," Beca said honestly as she reached out a hand to the redhead.

Chloe looked at the outstretched hand for a moment before slowly linking their hands together and letting Beca pull her from her chair. "Let's get coffee."

"Like a date?" Beca asked hopefully.

"Not like a date, exactly a date," Chloe smiled back, which caused Beca to beam.

* * *

Beca rushed around frantically as she tried to desperately find something appropriate to wear for the date. It wasn't dinner so a dress wouldn't work. Not that she had a dress though. It was with Chloe so typical date clothes wouldn't work either. She wanted to look nice but casual. Tyler had been watching her from the bedroom door as she began to lose her mind. He sighed and decided to help her.

"Wear that blue top. It'll bring out both of your eyes. Then just wear those black skinny jeans."

Beca grinned at him. "Thanks kid." Beca grabbed the suggested clothes before turning back to her brother. "Are you cool with this? Me dating Chloe?"

Tyler shrugged, forcing himself to play it cool. He'd planned this joke with Jesse the night before and had just been waiting for Beca to ask. "It's cool if she wants to slum it. You can keep her busy until I'm old enough."

Beca's mouth dropped in shock. "Wh-wha-wh," she stuttered.

Tyler couldn't hold it and started laughing. "Jesse helped me with that," he explained. "Seriously I like this. It means she will be around more, doesn't it?"

"Hopefully."

"Then that's cool. I like Chloe," Tyler reminded her.

Beca nodded and ruffled the boy's hair as she passed him and headed to the bathroom to finish getting ready.

* * *

"How does this look?" Chloe asked as she did a spin in front of Aubrey.

Aubrey looked over the edge of her book. "You know you look great. Besides, it's Beca. It's not like she is going to go to much effort here."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "I thought you said you'd give her a chance again? After all even you can admit that the song with my angels was romantic as hell."

Aubrey moved her eyes back to her book. "I've seen better. Besides, I doubt she came up with that by herself. It was probably that goofy boy she always hangs around with."

"His name is Jesse and he doesn't always hang around. In fact I've only met him a handful of times and I can only remember you two meeting twice. He seems to have made an impression though," Chloe suggested.

Aubrey glanced at Chloe quickly before focusing on her book again. "Nice try. Not interested."

Chloe smirked before flouncing back to her room to finish getting ready. There was a knock on the door as she walked away. "Bree can you get that? And if it's Beca try to be nice, OK?"

Aubrey huffed as she took her time getting up. She placed her bookmark into her book and slowly made her way over to the door. Beca had knocked three more times before Aubrey finally pulled it open. She raised her brows when she saw that Beca actually had put effort into her appearance, even adding slight curls to her hear so it flowed over her shoulder.

"Beca."

"Aubrey."

"Come in."

"Thank you."

Aubrey and Beca both crossed their arms and stood awkwardly just inside of the door. Aubrey caved first.

"I think what you did was horrible and immature."

"Thank you," Beca deadpanned.

"But I support Chloe and if she thinks you deserve forgiveness then fine, but don't expect me to ignore it if you do one more dumb thing to hurt her. Chloe has been through enough," Aubrey said seriously.

Beca dropped her arms and looked at the blonde earnestly. "I agree. Chloe deserves someone who will treat her like an angel and I am that person. I was stupid and I made a foolish mistake that I will never stop apologizing for. I can be the person Chloe needs and even you will be able to see that one day."

Aubrey's hard face gave way to a small smile. It was barely existent but it was there and Beca knew that she had passed the test.

"Wow Beca, you look great," Chloe complimented as she walked into the room.

Beca's eyes bugged at the short skirt and low-cut shirt combo. Chloe was trying to kill her. "You-you too," Beca choked out.

"Thanks," Chloe grinned. "Shall we?"

"We shall," Beca swallowed, forcing herself to clear her mind and focus on not making a complete fool out of herself just because Chloe was showing a lot of tanned skin.

* * *

Beca and Chloe walked into the small coffee shop side-by-side. Beca had been itching to grab Chloe's hand but didn't want to push anything too far in case the redhead decided she didn't actually want to do this anymore. They ordered quickly at the counter and waited in an awkward silence for their coffees. It was usually so easy between them but Beca couldn't beat her nerves and Chloe was wondering if Beca again doubted the decision to date. When they finally sat down across from each other Chloe decided to just lay it all on the table.

"If you're planning on running please do it now because I don't think I can handle you doing it later," Chloe said seriously.

Beca's eyes widened in surprise. "God no! Is that what you think?"

Chloe shrugged.

"No Chloe, I'm not going anywhere. It's just… I'm sitting across from this stunning redhead who has legs and-ahem-and I feel like an awkward teen who just discovered sex," Beca explained. "You make me nervous."

Chloe grinned. "Well don't be."

Beca rolled her eyes at the woman. "Oh sure, I'll just go ahead and stop because you said so," Beca said sarcastically. "Nerves don't really listen to reason Chlo."

"Beca we have gone through what could possibly be the worst way to start a friendship. I don't really think coffee is something to get all twitchy about. You've seen me at my worst, I've seen you naked, and we got through it. I have feelings for you, and you have feelings for me. To me this isn't just a 'see how things go' date. This is a 'I'm in love and now a lesbian for this person' date."

Beca smirked and leaned back in her chair, her nerves suddenly gone. Maybe Chloe was magic. "You have a point. I totally turned you gay."

"OK. Ego. Calm down there," Chloe joked.

"This isn't a 'let's see how things go' date to me either. It's a 'I could marry this girl one day' date," Beca said earnestly.

"Marry?" Chloe commented with raised brows. "We should at least see how the sex is. I'm not a good liar so I couldn't handle a marriage full of faked orgasms."

Beca's face burned red and her nerves returned at Chloe's wink and smirk. "Really, Beale?" Beca hissed as she glanced around. "I try to be sweet or whatever and you go dirty?"

Chloe shrugged sheepishly. "I couldn't help it. I've spent the whole day looking up lesbian porn on Aubrey's Internet."

Beca did a fantastic fish impression and found she couldn't respond.

"I don't put out until at least the third date though," Chloe teased.

Beca took a large gulp of her burning coffee, the sensation giving her something else to focus on. "How are you even a teacher with a mind like that?"

"Are you kidding?" Chloe asked. "Teachers are the worst! The staffroom is littered with innuendo. Although that may all be from Stacie. Aubrey and I spent an entire year training her not to touch herself when showing five years old how to dance."

Beca laughed heartily. She'd seen the other woman a few times and could easily imagine that being very true. "Do you know when you can back to work yet?" Beca asked.

A sad look ghosted over Chloe's face. "I'd be allowed to go back now on a part-time basis, but thanks to the police and Aubrey it's been decided that I stay mostly hidden until Tom is found. Just in case he wants to try anything else. I honestly don't think he's a danger to anyone or anything but it's better safe than sorry."

"Has, um, has there been any news?" Beca hated that she'd been forced to be absent during what must have been a really difficult time for Chloe.

"No. He hasn't been to our apartment and he hasn't contacted any of his family members. The case pretty much went cold while I was in a coma and they still don't have any new leads," Chloe shrugged. "But let's not talk about this right now."

"Good idea. Let's talk about the newest episode of Game of Thrones," Beca suggested.

Chloe gasped. "You've been watching it without me!"

Beca's eyes widened. "Haven't you?"

"Of course not! When you find someone else that watches your show you dedicate yourself to only watching it with that person. It makes it so much better! I can't believe you," Chloe pouted.

"I'm sorry," Beca apologized. "We hadn't spoken in two weeks. I was sure you were still watching."

"No, I was waiting."

Beca grinned. "So you always planned on being friends again?"

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Of course I did, rainbow. I just needed time and space. I wish I knew how to quit you," Chloe said, doing her best Brokeback mountain impression.

"What was that?" Beca asked, confused by yet another movie reference.

Chloe groaned. "Mitchell! Your best friend and little brother are complete movie buffs and your film collection is twice the size of mine. How is it possible that you don't get these things?"

Beca shrugged. "Movies are boring and predictable. Guy gets girl, guy loses girl, guy gets girl back. It's nothing like real life."

Chloe smirked. "Oh yeah? Nothing like you get me, you lose me, you get me back?"

Beca pursed her lips. "Touché, madam."

"I will take that as acceptance to watch every single movie I suggest from this point on with no reluctance," Chloe decided.

"I see your offer and raise you. I will watch a limit of 2 movies a week with minimal reluctance," Beca suggested.

Chloe glared. "5 movies. And I can accept the reluctance as long as there is cuddling."

Beca rolled her eyes. "Sure. Like it's such a punishment to cuddle with my girlfriend for two hours in the dark."

Chloe grinned and reached across the table to poke Beca's cheek. "Generally people ask before just assuming they have a girlfriend."

Beca's eyes widened again. "Did I say girlfriend?"

"You did."

"Well… I didn't mean you, I meant-"

"Nope. Don't dig yourself into that hole," Chloe warned.

Beca smirked and was grateful Chloe had stopped her before she firmly planted her foot into her mouth. "Can I call you my girlfriend?"

"Hmm," Chloe tapped her chin as she pretended to think it over. "A lock picking girlfriend who hates movies… sure, sounds fun."

Beca grinned. "Does that mean I can kiss you now?"

Chloe groaned, filled with humor. "That is so cliché, Mitchell. If you must."

Beca shook her head but grabbed Chloe's hand and yanked her to her feet as she stood as well. "Stop being mean."

"Never."

Beca looked into her favorite bright blue eyes as her heart pounded. Chloe was happy and Beca was the reason. Beca closed the distance, right in the middle of the small coffee shop, and sealed the deal. This kiss was even better than their first.

* * *

 **A/N: Peace.**


	10. 365 days

**A/N: IMPORTANT! READ THIS BEFORE THE CHAPTER! There is a HUGE cliffhanger at the end of this chapter! Massive! If you don't want to go through that then wait until the next update which I will write first thing in the morning.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect.**

 **Thanks to everyonelovesagoodBhloe for betaing.**

* * *

Chloe glanced up as she climbed out of Jesse's car, realising for the first time that Beca hadn't actually driven her home. "Beca?" Chloe questioned, looking at the brunette over the roof of the car.

"Chloe?" Beca returned as she looked up after locking the car.

"Did you forget something? Like taking me home?" Chloe questioned.

Beca blinked, and then started laughing at the confusion on the redhead's face. She gripped the roof of the car as a pouting Chloe walked around it and towards her.

"What's so funny?" Chloe asked.

Beca calmed down after realising Chloe was serious. "Seriously Chlo? You just noticed that I was driving here instead of Aubrey's? She lives in the total opposite direction."

Chloe deepened her pout, looking slightly hurt. "I guess I didn't."

Beca linked her hand with Chloe's and pulled her towards the building.

"Wait," Chloe said, although she followed Beca without reluctance, "Why did you bring me here?"

Beca glanced back over her shoulder. "We were having a good time and I wasn't ready for it to end. Besides, Aubrey is at your place."

"Where's Tyler?"

"With Jesse."

"So it's just me and you?"

"Yep." Beca murmured as she unlocked her front door and pulled Chloe inside.

Chloe tilted her head as she glanced around the apartment, as if checking that they were alone. She began to smirk as she placed her bag and jacket over the couch and turned back to Beca with hungry eyes.

Beca's eyes widened and she swallowed as she was confronted by the look of pure seduction. "Chloe?" she squeaked.

"So Beca Mitchell, let's get this straight," she giggled slightly at the word, "You have taken me back to your empty apartment so we can be alone. What next?"

Beca swallowed again. Why wouldn't that lump go away?

Chloe took slow, calculated steps towards the brunette, swaying her hips as she moved. "You don't like movies, so that's not why," Chloe explained, pretending to actually consider reasons Beca may have decided to bring her here. "You don't know how to cook, so that's not why." Chloe stopped when she reached Beca. She reached out a hand, pointing her finger, and slid her nail slowly along Beca's skin, starting at the shorter woman's hand and trailing up her arm towards her cheek. Chloe drew a circle over Beca's cheek and jaw before moving her hand to cup the soft skin. Her eyes were hypnotic and Beca took a step closer, unable to control her own limbs. Beca's hands automatically found their way to grip Chloe's hips, scrunching her dress and holding tightly to ground herself in this moment. Beca could feel herself drowning into the bluest of blue eyes and plump red lips, framed by burning locks of hair.

Another swallow.

Chloe leaned closer, a smirk on her lips, as she brushed her nose with Beca's. "Why do you think you wanted to bring me here?" Chloe practically purred.

Beca panted, unable to form words as her heart rate soared and her brain melted into a puddle.

Chloe's lips ghosted over Beca's mouth, tickling with each breath and vibrating as she spoke. "Because I don't put out on the first date." Chloe dropped her hands and stepped back quickly, ending all contact and causing Beca to stumble forward and blink frantically as she forced her brain to work.

Chloe turned to walk to the couch but Beca quickly reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling the redhead back into her body and spinning to press the redhead into her front door.

Beca stared into the grinning woman's eyes. "I need you," she breathed, helpless to the desire Chloe had stoked within her.

Chloe only needed to tip her head forward before their lips connected. Chloe opened her mouth quickly as Beca's tongue sought access, gladly granting her permission. Beca moaned at the feeling of her tongue sliding against Chloe's, tasting the delicious woman for the first time. Chloe used Beca's distraction to spin their bodies so she could press Beca into the door. Beca groaned as Chloe ground into her, driving her insane.

"Chloe," she gasped. "If you don't want to then stop now," Beca begged, aware that one more press or lick would have her unable to control her actions. Regardless of her words Beca couldn't pull away, moving her ministrations to Chloe's neck as the redhead tried to answer.

"Don't stop," Chloe gasped, her words barely above a whisper.

"Are you sure?" Beca asked again. Her mind was full of fog but she knew how important it was for Chloe to want this as much as she did.

Chloe's knee found itself between Beca's thighs and the brunette ground down, needing to relieve tension that the electricity of touching Chloe was creating within her stomach.

Chloe's hands gripped Beca's hips, pushing her down onto her knee again, and pinching, the slight pain adding to Beca's pleasure. "I'm sure. I want you," Chloe murmured against Beca's throat. Chloe dragged her teeth along Beca's skin as she trailed her way back to reconnect their mouths. The kisses grew in intensity and Beca was no longer in control, acting only on instinct as she nibbled on the redhead's lower lip and groaned in pleasure as her feelings built.

"B-b-bed," Beca forced out, speaking the words directly into Chloe's mouth. She was already dangerously close to her edge, without even removing an item of clothing and she refused for their first time to be against a door. Their second time maybe.

Chloe used her grip on Beca's hips to lift the brunette, Beca automatically wrapping her legs around Chloe, accidentally pressing their mounds together. Chloe knees buckled for a second and she pushed Beca's hard against the door as she tried to control her breathing. Beca's sucking on Chloe's neck was making it almost impossible for the redhead to move. Chloe's hands snuck up under Beca's shirt, stroking the heated skin she found there.

"Bed," Beca tried again, the words almost silenced against Chloe's skin.

"Trying," Chloe growled.

Beca's chest vibrated against the redhead as she began to chuckle. She forced herself to pull away slightly, still keeping her legs locked around the taller woman as she connected their eyes. Beca grinned as she looked into Chloe's almost entirely black eyes. "You're not trying very hard," Beca teased as she pressed her hand against the door to steady herself.

Chloe returned Beca's grin. "Complaining?"

Beca opened her mouth to shoot something offensive back at the redhead but her words disappeared into a groan and her eyes rolled backwards as Chloe pushed their pelvises together. Chloe used Beca's momentary distraction to push away from the door and head towards Beca's room, with the smaller woman still attached and showering her neck with open-mouthed kisses.

Chloe tried to throw Beca onto the bed when they reached it but Beca kept her legs wrapped around the redhead and pulled her down with her. They crashed into each other, bumping heads and laughing at the awkward moment.

"Smooth Beale," Beca joked as she rubbed her forehead and moved further onto the bed.

"More complaining," Chloe joked back as she lifted herself onto her knees. She locked her eyes with Beca's as she reached down and slowly pulled her dress over her head. All jokes and teasing flew from Beca's mind as she saw the matching set of red lacy lingerie. Beca's eyes flew around Chloe's body, desperately trying to memorise every freckle, every scar, and every inch of tanned skin.

"Yeah," Chloe smirked as she saw the effect her body was having on Beca. "I'm pretty confident about… all this," she did a slight shimmy as she gestured to her own body.

Beca grinned. "You should be," she nodded.

Chloe winked, kicked her heels off, and crawled her way to Beca's feet. Still on her knees Chloe looked at Beca under her lashes as she slowly undid the brunette's laces and pulled off the shoes and socks.

"Fuck Chloe. How the hell did you just make that so god-damn sexy?" Beca questioned.

Chloe didn't reply, instead deciding to move tantalisingly slow up Beca's body. Beca reached her hands down, trying to touch the deliciously tanned skin but Chloe paused, shaking her head and staying out of reach. Beca groaned and gripped the blanket beneath her, watching as Chloe resumed her ascent. Chloe's hands made quick work of Beca's pant's button, undoing the skinny jeans and sliding them down thin legs. Beca was momentarily embarrassed by her choice of plain black boy shorts but the way Chloe licked her lips had those thoughts flying from her mind. Chloe removed Beca's shirt next, leaving them in the same state of undress.

Chloe swung a leg over Beca's body and straddled the smaller woman, pressing their mounds together lightly with only the thin fabric of their panties keeping them apart. Beca sucked a breath through her teeth and reached down to link her hands with Chloe's. She pulled slightly so that Chloe would lie down, pressing the upper halves of their bodies together as they brought their faces close. Still with their hands linked Beca brushed Chloe's loose hair behind her ears. "You're stunning Chloe," Beca sighed.

Chloe smiled softly. "So are you Beca."

Beca stared into her favourite blue eyes, the eyes she had been addicted to since the first time she saw them. She loved every single thing about this woman. She loved her heart, her passion, her compassion, her selflessness, even her coma induced irritation. "I love you Chloe Beale."

Chloe's smile grew as she looked into Beca's watery, deep blue eyes. She might not have liked Beca at first but as soon as Beca had let her into her shell she knew there was no other place she would rather be. Beca had had a difficult life from her very first breath in this world but she still cared about those around her. Chloe had become addicted to the small ways Beca would show she cared when her words wouldn't work. "I love you too Beca Mitchell."

Beca grinned. "Does that mean I can kiss you now?" Beca asked, repeating her words from earlier.

"That is so cliché," Chloe whispered as she pressed her lips against the shorter woman's, not having the patience to wait for Beca to act. "Never stop kissing me."

"Not an option. You're addicting Beale."

"Good," Chloe grinned, reconnecting their mouths and pressing herself into the warm body beneath her own, reminding the pair of their state of undress.

Beca reluctantly let go of Chloe's hands in order to take advantage of all of the skin on offer to her. She traced Chloe's curves and dips, memorising everything she touched but knowing it could never be enough. She would always want more of Chloe and selfishly lap up everything the redhead offered to her. One hand roamed downwards to grip and squeeze Chloe's backside while the other moved upwards and quickly unlatched Chloe's bra with a click.

Chloe sat up quickly, amazement and surprise on her face.

"What?" Beca asked, worried that she'd moved too quickly.

Chloe smiled as she shook her head. "Sorry. I've never had anyone undo my bra one-handed or in one go." Chloe clapped her hands together, giving Beca a quick applause.

"Weirdo," Beca returned, pulling Chloe back down and reconnecting their bodies.

Chloe tried to roll to the side but Beca held her in place. "What are you doing?" Beca asked.

"I want to try," Chloe answered as she tried to roll again but Beca once again stopped her.

"Try what?" Beca questioned curiously.

"Your bra. Just roll," Chloe demanded, wiggling her hips to try and get free.

Beca sucked in a breath at the movement and Chloe used that to her advantage, rolling them so Beca was on top. Beca opened her eyes to find Chloe grinning excitedly underneath her and she couldn't help but to laugh at the gorgeous face. Chloe squinted her eyes to focus and she looped a hand around Beca and undid her bra, also in one go. She beamed at the brunette and Beca copied Chloe's actions, giving the redhead applause. "Boys make that seem much harder than it is," Chloe decided.

"It helps that we actually do it everyday."

Chloe frowned. "You have sex with women everyday?"

Beca blinked. "No. Chloe we wear bras. Everyday. We put bras on."

Chloe flushed red as she realised her mistake.

Beca grinned and she shook her head, rubbing her nose against Chloe's. "You're lucky you're that pretty."

Chloe pouted in response and Beca couldn't help but lean forward and suck Chloe's bottom lip into her mouth, scraping it with her teeth. "Mmm," Beca moaned, her hands moving up to take advantage of the new skin available to her. Chloe shivered as Beca's fingers stroked the underside of her breast and her eyes flicked open to stare into Beca's eyes.

"Is this OK?" Beca asked, unsure if Chloe's reaction was hesitation.

A smile broke onto Chloe's face as she raised her own hand to copy Beca's movement, causing Beca to now shiver in response. "It's great," Chloe winked.

Beca reconnected their mouths as she laughed at Chloe's antics but her laughter was turned into a moan as Chloe took the initiative to squeeze a breast in her palm. Chloe quickly rolled again, so Beca was on the bottom and Chloe straddled her again. Chloe's hand continued to squeeze and kneed Beca's breasts as she sat up slightly to keep her eyes on what she was doing. Beca was torn between closing her eyes in pleasure and watching the emotions that flew across Chloe's expressive face. There was determination, lust, curiosity, pleasure… and Beca was drowning in it.

Chloe chewed her lip as she considered something and before Beca could question the look Chloe's warm mouth wrapped around her untouched nipple. Beca's mouth went dry as she could feel the tip of Chloe's tongue circle her peak as her mouth sucked. Chloe released it with a pop and moved to the other breast, repeating her actions but adding a slight scrape of her teeth. Beca buried both hands in Chloe's hair and held her face to her breast, desperate for more from Chloe's talented mouth. Chloe obliged, nibbling, sucking and marking as she alternated between both. Beca could feel how damp she was and knew her boy shorts would be ruined, but she couldn't find the energy to care, instead desperate for more. Chloe seemed intent on taking her time getting to know Beca's chest so the shorter woman bucked her hips, searching for friction to relieve some tension. Chloe glanced up at Beca with her mouth still wrapped around a nipple and she could see the woman scrunching her face at the building tension. Chloe took pity on her new girlfriend and began her descent, dragging her tongue over skin and into the dip of her bellybutton as she moved. Chloe hooked a finger into the top of the boy shorts, brushing lightly against Beca's curls and she pulled the underwear down the brunette's legs and threw them against the wall.

Chloe hesitated for a moment, unsure of what to do next.

"I love you Chloe," Beca spoke warmly, causing the redhead to look up at her. "Do whatever feels natural."

Chloe swallowed her nerves and reached forward, sliding a hand up and down Beca's folds, coating her finger in Beca's juices. Her finger found Beca's clit and she pushed into it, causing Beca to buck again. Chloe took that as a good sign and added a second finger, pinching it slightly and rubbing it. Beca moaned. Even better. Chloe alternated between pushing, circling, rubbing, and flicking, labelling each movement with the sound it caused Beca to make. Beca was gripping the blankets in her fists and biting hard enough on her bottom lip for it to start bleeding. She knew Chloe was taking her time to learn Beca's body but she was desperate for reprieve as Chloe's actions drove her crazy without release. Eventually Chloe moved her hand, circling Beca's entrance once, asking for permission, before moving a finger inside of the brunette. Chloe pumped her hand a few times before adding a second finger. Beca groaned as Chloe bent her fingers against her velvet walls, pleasure filling every inch of the brunette. Beca's reaction filled Chloe with confidence and she added a third finger, pushing Beca to the brink, as she used her thumb to give Beca's clit attention.

"Fuck Chloe," Beca groaned.

"I'm trying," Chloe joked, grinning.

Beca couldn't hear Chloe's words over the sound of her blood pumping in her ears. All she could feel was Chloe's fingers, moving in and out of her. Chloe could drive Beca wild with a simple look but this was pure ecstasy. Chloe could feel Beca tightening and she knew Beca was almost there. Without slowing her movements, Chloe pressed her body back into Beca's, her lips hovering over Beca's ear. "I love you Beca Mitchell."

"Fuck!" Beca screamed as she came, clenching tightly around Chloe's hand and freezing her in place as her head thrashed back against the bed and Chloe's words mixed with her actions and threw her over the edge. Chloe could feel her fingers tingling as she waited for Beca to come down from her high but she was focused on staring at the twitching woman's face. Beca slowly blinked her eyes open and met Chloe's soft smile. "God I love you," Beca whispered. Chloe pecked her lips softly and withdrew her hand. She held it up in front of her face for a second, a curious look on her face, before she slowly sucked a dripping finger into her mouth, moaning at the taste of Beca in her mouth. "Fuck," Beca muttered, desire ramming into her body at Chloe's actions. Beca quickly flipped Chloe and pressed into the redhead, connecting their mouths and tasting herself on Chloe's tongue, making her even more turned on. Beca's hand travelled swiftly down Chloe's body and she growled into Chloe's mouth as she realised Chloe was still wearing one last piece of clothing. Beca was out of patience and needed to feel Chloe so she tore the fabric, not wanting to lose precious seconds with pulling the panties down. Chloe gasped in surprise but a fire ignited in her stomach when she saw the passion and desire in Beca's eyes.

"Can I?" Beca whispered. Chloe didn't trust her voice so she nodded. Beca immediately trust a finger inside Chloe, feeling herself becoming lightheaded at the feeling of being inside of the other woman. As Beca began to pump her finger, letting Chloe adjust to the feeling, she moved her mouth to suck on Chloe's neck, recklessly leaving marks of their passion. She felt Chloe's hips wriggle and added a second finger, loving the musical moan the redhead let out. Beca moved lower, biting Chloe's nipples to their peak and laving them both with her tongue. Chloe reached her arms around Beca's back, dipping into her skin as she tried to ground herself in the moment but instead leaving burning red scratches down the brunette's back. Beca shivered at the feeling, praying and wishing that that would become a constant thing from Chloe. Beca moved lower, her head now between Chloe's thighs. Beca looked up into Chloe's eyes as the redhead raised herself onto her elbows to watch Beca with a lip between her teeth. Not losing eye-contact Beca pushed her tongue through Chloe's folds and rolled her tongue around Chloe's clit, tasting the delicious redhead for the first time and enjoying the sweet taste. No other woman had ever tasted this good to her, and no other woman ever would. In this moment she was sure that her only option in life would be to cling to Chloe like a life preserver. Chloe's eyelids became hooded with pleasure as Beca continued to suck and pull on Chloe's nub as she pumped her fingers. Chloe dropped backwards as she felt her insides tightening and coiling as she reached the edge. Beca quickly added a third finger, increasing the pace and scrapping Chloe's insides lightly.

"Becaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!" Chloe screamed loud enough to shake the walls as she released, her orgasm tearing through her as she thrashed in the bed and Beca continued to pump. Chloe was panting as she came down from her high and reached a hand out blindly towards Beca. Beca took it and let Chloe pull her back up, pressing their lips together. "God," Chloe groaned against Beca's mouth after a few minutes. "Lesbians sure know what's what."

Beca barked a surprised laughed and dropped her head into the crook of Chloe's neck, wrapping her arms around her naked and still twitching girlfriend so she could roll them onto their sides. "You're such a weirdo," Beca said affectionately as Chloe forced one eye open.

"You love me."

"I do," Beca said easily.

"Good. Can we sleep now? Forever?" Chloe asked as she closed her eyes again.

Beca tightened her grip on Chloe, loving the way their sweaty naked bodies pressed against each other and how they just seemed to fit so perfectly.

"Unless you-" Chloe continued when Beca didn't answer.

"Shh. It's OK baby, go to sleep. We have the rest of our lives," Beca whispered, pecking the redhead again purely because she couldn't help it.

Chloe smiled happily with her eyes still closed. "Rest of our lives sounds good…" her voice trailed off as her body succumbed to sleep.

Beca pulled an arm free and reached up to brush Chloe's hair back so she could stare at the woman's face unobstructed. "I never knew this feeling existed," Beca whispered to her sleeping girlfriend. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for you Chloe."

* * *

"Bec!" Tyler yelled as he and Jesse made their way into the apartment. Beca had promised to pick Tyler up and return Jesse's car first thing that morning but hadn't appeared and all phone calls had gone unanswered. Tyler made his way straight to his sister's open bedroom.

Jesse trailed behind but paused when he noticed an unfamiliar bag and jacket by the couch. His eyes widened in realisation and he rushed to stop Tyler but the boy had already entered his sister's room and noticed his sister under the covers with his favourite teacher. Only their heads were visible but Jesse correctly assumed (based on the clothes he could see beside the bed) that they were naked. Tyler didn't seem to realise the situation because he only rolled his eyes at the fact that his sister was still asleep and had forgotten to pick him up. He knew that Chloe and Beca had already shared a bed and didn't think anything of the way that they were forming only one lump under the covers and sharing a pillow with their faces centimetres apart, even in sleep.

Tyler pushed the side of the bed, making it rock as he yelled out his sister's name again. That did the trick as both adults jolted upright in the bed, looking around with wide eyes. Luckily for Tyler's innocence the women had grabbed the blankets over their chests as they sat so only their bare shoulders were visible.

"Tyler!" Chloe yelped as she saw the boy first.

"Fuck," Beca swore under her breath as she tried to gesture for Jesse to get the boy out of the room but Jesse's dirty mind was already absent.

"Are you naked?" Tyler questioned as he frowned at the women in the bed.

Chloe's face burned and she instinctively curled into Beca's side, trying to bury her head in the woman's neck. Beca automatically wrapped an arm around the embarrassed woman as she considered her options with Tyler. He was almost eleven, that's practically a teenager. "Alright Ty, time for the birds and the bees."

Chloe gasped and pulled away from the brunette with a horrified expression as Beca just looked at her and shrugged. "What? What am I supposed to do here?"

"Not that!" Chloe cried but Beca only shrugged again.

Luckily Jesse had been drawn from his daydream by Chloe's gasp and saved the women, well Chloe, further embarrassment. "Ty, how about we go and see what we can whip up for breakfast?"

"But-"

"Pancakes? Choc-chip?" Jesse offered.

Tyler beamed at the suggestion of his favourite breakfast food and he quickly bolted from the room. Jesse glanced back at the women on the bed and sent them an exaggerated wink before pulling the door closed.

Chloe dropped her head into her hands. "Were you seriously about to tell your ten year old brother about sex after he caught us naked in bed together?" Chloe groaned.

Beca shrugged yet again. "I wasn't going to give him a visual or anything."

Chloe was yet again horrified at the smirking brunette's words. "You are a horrible influence for him."

Beca grinned. "Then maybe we need a good influence around more. What do you say?"

Chloe blinked as she processed the words. "Did you just ask me to move in?"

Beca's eyes widened but then she smiled as she actually considered it. "Well no. Not just then but… Chloe, do you want to move in with us?"

Chloe was shocked. "We've only had one date!"

"Maybe. But I think we both know that we are serious and that this, what we're feeling, might be sudden but it's very real. It doesn't feel like one date, or even a few months, it feels like lifetimes."

Chloe chewed her lip as she thought it over. "I don't know Beca. I mean, I agree, it doesn't seem too soon to me but… I'm not sure."

"That's fine," Beca said honestly as she reached out a hand to brush over the woman's cheek and hair. "Take all the time you need. It can be today, tomorrow, next week, next month, next year… I'll wait until you're ready."

Chloe grinned and pressed their lips together, loving the way every touch felt perfect. "Do we have time to shower?" Chloe asked.

"One sec," Beca said, holding up a hand. Chloe looked at her curiously before Beca suddenly pulled the sheet down to reveal Chloe's naked body in the sunlight from the window.

Chloe giggled and raised a brow at the look of excitement on Beca's face. "Maybe we should shower together to save time?"

"Yes please," Beca grinned like a kid at Christmas as she dragged Chloe from the bed and to the bathroom, glad that Tyler would be sufficiently distracted at the other end of the apartment with Jesse.

* * *

"Sorry about, erm, sleeping in," Beca apologised to Tyler and Jesse over a pile of pancakes and after a very satisfying shower. "I guess I forgot to set an alarm."

Jesse grinned. "No worries. So coffee went well?"

Beca scowled at the man and Chloe covered her grin with her hand. Chloe was embarrassed about being caught but she refused to be ashamed of the mind-blowing sex.

"Is Chloe your girlfriend now?" Tyler asked.

Beca and Chloe shared a look, communicating silently and surprising Jesse with how married they seemed in that moment. "Yeah she is," Beca confirmed. "You cool with that?"

Tyler struggled to keep his face blank but it quickly broke into the biggest smile Beca had seem him wear since the accident. "More than cool," he grinned, beaming at the two women before stabbing his pancakes with gusto.

Beca smirked and glanced at the redhead before speaking again. "Actually Ty, I asked her to move in with us."

Tyler's fork clinked loudly as it fell from his mouth onto his plate. His mouth hung open, un-chewed pancake hanging from it as he swivelled his head back and forth between Chloe and Beca. "Really?" he asked, but around his full mouth it sounded more like 'werwe?'

Chloe glared at Beca before turning her attention to Tyler. "She did but I haven't said yes so if you have any sort of problem with it then-"

"No! No problems!" Tyler cried, spitting pancakes pieces onto the table.

"Gross," Beca commented as she and Jesse both gave Tyler looks of disgust. Chloe had seen much worse as a teacher and barely reacted.

"You can say yes. I'll help you move. We can have a special dinner tonight," Tyler rambled excitedly.

Chloe hesitated, not sure how to say no to the boy, but then she realised she didn't want to. She imagined waking up everyday with Beca beside her and then having breakfast with Tyler. She imagined helping him with homework and one day giving him nieces and nephews. She imagined teaching Beca how to cook more than tacos and spaghetti and she imagined a lifetime of leftover Fridays. This had been a broken household but Chloe belonged. She was broken on her own but with these two people she felt whole.

Beca noticed Chloe wasn't saying anything and stepped in to try and calm Tyler down and break it to him. "Well Ty, it's a little more complicated than that. You see-"

"Beca," Chloe interrupted. She reached over and linked her hand with Beca's. "Can we have Italian for dinner?"

Beca's face split into a wide smile. "Seriously? Like, really? You're gonna move in?"

Chloe squeezed her hand. "Time means nothing. You're what I want," she glanced at Tyler, "You both are."

"I won't let you down Chlo," Beca promised, capturing Chloe's attention again. "365 days."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

Breakfast was finished and cleared up and the Mitchells-Beale-Swanson clan were sitting on the couch preparing for a Saturday morning movie.

"The Breakfast club," Jesse suggested but Beca and Tyler groaned, not wanting to watch it for the thousandth time.

Tyler jumped from the couch suddenly, an idea sparking in his memory as he quickly grabbed the DVD. "This," he cheered, holding up The Little Mermaid.

Chloe frowned and looked between him and Beca. "Are you sure?"

Tyler nodded and Beca smiled.

"But your mum-"

"Would love that you have red hair and blue eyes," Beca said.

Chloe's eyes filled with water and she leaned over to give Beca a quick but loving kiss, much to Jesse's enjoyment.

"OK!" Chloe beamed. "Put it on!"

Tyler slid it into the player just as Chloe's phone began to ring. Chloe frowned at the unknown number and apologised to everyone in the room as she answered it.

"Chloe Beale speaking."

"Miss Beale this is Detective Pierce," a voice replied. It was low and sounded muffled as if it was either a bad connection or far away. Chloe could barely make it out.

"Detective Pierce?" She questioned. If this was about Tom then shouldn't Detective Jenkins be calling? He'd been in charge of the case, hadn't he?

"I'm new to your case," came the voice.

"OK," Chloe accepted. "Is there news?"

"Yes. We need you to come to your apartment."

Chloe frowned. "My apartment? Why not the station?"

There was silence on the other line for a moment and Chloe found it odd that the usual sounds of the station she normally heard from Detective Jenkins' calls was absent. Maybe it was just the bad connection. "It needs to be in private."

"Oh. OK. When?"

"Right away."

"I can't I'm-"

"Miss Beale, this is for your own safety."

Chloe chewed her lip and glanced at the faces around her. She could go and see the detective and be back quickly. "OK. I'm on my way." She hung up the phone with a sigh. "Sorry. That was a detective. There's been news and he needs to see me right away."

"Oh," Tyler deflated where he was crouched in front of the TV.

"It shouldn't take long," Chloe rushed. "Then I'll be back, with good news hopefully, and we can celebrate by watching this movie."

Tyler still seemed upset so Chloe tried again.

"Besides, I'm meeting him at my apartment so I'll be able to grab some things and bring them back with me. Then we can get me started on moving in."

This worked. Tyler bounced on his knees happily. "OK. Let's go."

"Wait a sec," Beca interrupted. "He wants to meet you at the apartment? Why?"

Chloe shrugged. "It seems important."

"OK. I'll drive you."

"No Beca he said he needed to speak to me in private."

"I don't care. I'm driving you there. Jesse, can I borrow your car?" Beca asked. "Maybe we can swing by Aubrey's and grab your car after," Beca suggested.

Jesse frowned at the women. He was a movie buff and it was probably his overactive imagination but he was sure this was how horror movies started. "Well if you're going to get Chloe's car why don't we all go, fill up my car from Chloe's apartment, then hers from Aubrey's. More hands and all."

Beca and Chloe communicated silently again before agreeing and soon all four set out for Chloe's apartment.

* * *

Beca turned in her seat and glanced at Chloe in the backseat when they pulled up outside of the building. "Chloe Beale," she said, false irritation in her voice.

"What?" Chloe asked, confused as she paused on her way to getting out of the car.

"You are a huge liar! You said you lived near me and that was the only reason I let you drive Tyler to and from school. You lived on the opposite side of town!" Beca ranted.

Chloe chuckled nervously. "Whoops."

Beca rolled her eyes. "You are hopeless."

Chloe winked and climbed the rest of the way out of the car. Beca moved to follow but Chloe leaned through the passenger window, stopping her from getting out. "Stay here."

"What? No."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Beca. I am just going inside to speak to a detective. Do you really think he could call me here if I was in danger?"

Beca shrugged, knowing she'd lost.

"I have my phone so I'll call if there is a problem."

"Text me when you meet him and if you don't call in 5 minutes I'm coming up."

"10," Chloe countered."

"Fine. 10. But know that I can pick locks."

Chloe laughed and leaned down to quickly kiss her girlfriend goodbye as she headed into her apartment.

* * *

Chloe unlocked the door and pushed it open slowly. Detective Pierce hadn't been outside so maybe she was early. Chloe looked around the apartment she once called home and was surprised with how little she felt. She wasn't upset about leaving, or scared about what had happened here. No, she had Beca and Tyler and their love had quickly washed away everything bad. She walked further into the apartment, leaving the door wide open in case the detective came. She was about to walk into the kitchen when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Something was very wrong. She froze when the creaking of the door closing sounded behind her. She knew who it was before she even turned. Suddenly, she was more than scared about what had happened here; she was terrified.

"I missed you baby."

Chloe felt her blood run cold and ice gripped her heart. "Tom."

* * *

 **A/N: Don't be surprised! We all knew I couldn't end the story without bringing him back. I promise the next chapter will be up ASAP. And thank you to those that asked, my dog is doing better but isn't all the way there yet (fingers crossed).**


	11. Listen to the music

**A/N: Here it is! Cliffhanger free :) Also… this is the final chapter. There will be an epilogue a year in the future but this is it for this story :) All the sadness was pretty hard to write so I want my next A.U to be completely fluffy and happy therefore I am doing *drumroll* and AU based on The Office! Spoiler: Fat Amy is the boss.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect.**

 **Thanks yet again to everyonelovesagoodBhloe for beating.**

* * *

 _Chloe unlocked the door and pushed it open slowly. Detective Pierce hadn't been outside so maybe she was early. Chloe looked around the apartment she once called home and was surprised with how little she felt. She wasn't upset about leaving, or scared about what had happened here. No, she had Beca and Tyler and their love had quickly washed away everything bad. She walked further into the apartment, leaving the door wide open in case the detective came. She was about to walk into the kitchen when she felt the hairs on the back of her neck rise. Something was very wrong. She froze when the creaking of the door closing sounded behind her. She knew who it was before she even turned. Suddenly, she was more than scared about what had happened here; she was terrified._

" _I missed you baby."_

 _Chloe felt her blood run cold and ice gripped her heart. "Tom."_

Tom donned his most charming smile as he flicked the lock on the door and began to step towards Chloe. Chloe started walking backwards, not wanting to risk taking her eyes off the approaching man.

"Baby? What's wrong?" Tom asked.

Chloe's back hit the wall as she ran out of room. Her hands pressed into the plaster, holding her up as her body filled with fear and adrenaline.

"Chloe? Talk to me. I went through a lot to get you here," Tom said, his voice sickly sweet. "My silly little Chloe; believing that a detective would ask you to come here to speak privately," Tom chuckled.

Stupid. Chloe closed her eyes and shook her head. She was so damn stupid.

"Why did you lie about me Chloe?" Tom continued. "Why did you tell them that I hurt you? I love you Chloe."

"No," Chloe forced out, trying to fight through her fear.

"Yes Chloe. Everything I have done is because I love you. I'm the only person who will ever love you. You know that." This was Tom's usual rant. It was the message he had beaten into her for over a year. It was the message that had convinced her that she had nothing to give.

Tom reached out a hand and twirled a lock of Chloe's loose hair as he glanced at what she was wearing. His charming smile dropped into a frown. "Whose clothes are these?"

Chloe blinked. She had borrowed Beca's shirt and leggings. The shirt was plaid and pulled snugly.

Tom flicked the hair he had been playing with aside, revealing Chloe's marked neck. Chloe didn't have a chance to react as his fist connected with the wall right next to her head. Chloe whimpered but stayed upright. "You let that slut touch you!" Tom roared as he towered over the redhead, his eyes full of menace.

"Don't call her that." Chloe's voice was weak and filled with nerves.

"Excuse me?" Tom's face was filled with shock from Chloe fighting back, instead of rolling over and taking it as she usually did.

"I said: don't call her that," Chloe repeated, her voice clearing and anger replacing the fear in her veins.

Tom snarled. "I will call that bitch whatever I want. Do you think she actually gives a fuck about you?"

Chloe lifted both hands, joining them and pushing them forward, catching Tom by surprising and forcing him to falter backwards. Chloe stepped away from the wall, moving right into Tom's face. "She loves me."

Tom laughed, the sound filled with a darkness that raised the hairs on the back of Chloe's neck. "Loves you? You're so naïve Chloe."

"No!" Chloe yelled, pushing against Tom's chest. "You can't do this to me anymore Tom."

"Do what?" Tom chuckled, barely budging against Chloe's attack.

"Trick me. You stole a year and a half of my life and filled my head with lies! You left me in a fucking coma that no one thought I would wake up from. You do not come here, tell me you love me, then bad mouth my girlfriend," Chloe glared up at the man as she yelled. "The only option you have here is to turn yourself in to the police."

"No. The only option you have is to tell the police that you are a filthy liar," Tom returned, grabbing Chloe's hands in his own to stop her assault. His charming smile found its way back onto his face but to Chloe it looked more like a sinister smirk. "I do love you Chloe. You know what happened was as much your fault as it was mine. You didn't need to jump in front of that brat and get yourself hurt. You were being stupid, just like now. That woman is filling your head with lies."

Chloe yanked on her arms, trying to get free but he was too strong. "You're the liar! Beca was there, every single day, in the hospital waiting for me to come back to her. She was there through rehab. She has never not been there."

Tom stepped forward, pushing Chloe back against the wall. "And if that mongrel hadn't have told the police it was me then I would have been there too."

Chloe struggled to get free. "Don't call him that. Let go of me Tom."

"No. You aren't going anywhere until you admit you love me," Tom growled into her ear.

"I love Beca," Chloe stated firmly.

Tom reacted quickly. Chloe's cheek burned as his open palm connected harshly, leaving a handprint in its wake. Chloe refused to back down this time. Tom may have taken her life but Beca had given it back. Beca had taught her that she didn't need to lose herself trying to impress others. Beca could see her for who she was and she loved her for it.

"I love Beca."

Another slap.

"I love Beca."

This time Tom raised his knee and crashed it into Chloe's stomach, winding her and causing her knees to buckle. She sagged to the floor, panting as she tried to breath. "I…love…Beca," She forced out again.

Tom raised a foot but both had been so distracted they hadn't heard someone picking the lock. They hadn't heard someone slam the door open. They hadn't heard someone rushing into the room. But they did hear them speak.

"And I love Chloe," Beca yelled as she launched her fist with all she had into Tom's face.

Tom was taken by surprise and too shocked at first to react. Beca raised her throbbing fist again, taking advantage of his confusion. A loud crack sounded through the apartment and blood seeped out of Tom's nose. It was broken. Beca's hand was numb and she couldn't move her fingers.

Tom looked down at the blood the soaked into his shirt, surprised by how much a broken nose could bleed and the fact that this half-pint of a woman had done it. Rage boiled within him and he grabbed her around the neck, clenching his hand to squeeze and throwing her against the wall. Beca landed on Chloe as she fell, but she quickly bounded back up, preparing to face Tom again as he lunged. Beca ducked a fist and sent her own into Tom's nose again, knowing it was her best chance at creating maximum pain. Tom clutched his nose and roared in pain. Beca moved to hit him again but he swung blindly, connecting with the side of her head.

Beca hit the ground but wasn't as quick getting to her feet this time as she tried to shake the fog from her brain. Tom lifted her into the air by the collar of her shirt and Beca kicked her legs around violently, trying to do any sort of damage that she could. She cursed the genes that had made her so damn small. Beca saw the fist heading straight for her face and was sure it was over. She was so positive that this was the end that she closed her eyes, ready to accept her fate and glad that it had happened while defending Chloe. She had forgotten Chloe was even still in the room until she was suddenly dropped onto the ground.

Chloe had kicked Tom firmly in the groin, causing him to drop Beca and fall to his knees as he clutched his balls. Chloe planted her feet firmly, grounding herself and using all of her rage and weight as her fist connected once again with his nose. The ruined cartilage and destroyed bone let out a spray of blood that covered Chloe's face as Tom's eyes rolled back and he slumped to the ground. Chloe couldn't stop as she finally released her anger. She raised her foot and landed kick after kick into his ribcage, relishing the sounds of bones breaking. Chloe kept kicking until two soft hands grabbed her from behind, pulling her backwards and into a tight embrace.

Beca scanned Chloe's body, checking for injuries, and finding the only marks on her face. Beca stroked Chloe's cheeks lightly with a finger and pressed a light kiss to them both. The fear and anger in Chloe's eyes melted into adoration.

"I'm so sorry baby," Beca whispered. "I should have been here. Are you OK?"

"You were here. You stopped him." Chloe picked up Beca's mangled hand and brushed her fingertips over the torn skin.

"I would never hurt you like he did," Beca said, worried that Chloe might be scared because of what she had just done.

"I know. You love me."

"I do love you," Beca confirmed, wiping away the tears that had been running down Chloe's face. "No one will ever hurt you again." Beca sealed her promise with a kiss. It was salty and messy but Beca wouldn't change a thing.

A moan sounded behind the pair and they glanced at the subdued man. "We should call the police. And maybe an ambulance," Beca commented.

"Soon," Chloe agreed as she pulled Beca back in, just needing to be comforted but the woman she loved.

* * *

Beca searched the crowded street from her place at the back of the ambulance. Tom had been taken to hospital and Beca and Chloe had been separated to give their statements. Beca had finished hers quickly, being cleared as it was ruled self-defence. She was now being forced to sit 'patiently' as a paramedic looked over her broken hand, insisting she be taken to the hospital. But Beca refused to go anywhere without her redhead. Beca finally found a splash of red hair and craned her neck to get a better view. Chloe was still talking to the police but she had Jesse on one side and Tyler latched onto her hip. Chloe seemed to sense that Beca was watching her as she turned and smiled at her girlfriend, her love reaching across the distance between them. Chloe said something to the police and was soon headed towards Beca with Tyler in her arms and Jesse following behind her.

Chloe set Tyler down and he immediately jumped into Beca's arms, desperate for a hug. Beca stroked his back as met Chloe's eyes over his shoulder.

'Is he OK?' Beca mouthed, hating that she had once again let Tyler experience something traumatic.

Chloe shrugged as she looked at the pair sympathetically, feeling guilty for dragging them into her mess.

Beca sensed what Chloe was feeling and reached out and arm to invite her into the hug. Chloe beamed and moved quickly, wrapping her arms around Beca and Tyler and pulling them close.

"I love you," Tyler whispered from his place in the middle.

"I love you too kid," Beca replied instantly.

Tyler turned his head slightly to look at Chloe after she hadn't replied. "I love you Chloe."

Chloe didn't try to hold back the tears at his words. "I love you too angel."

Tyler grinned. He had a family now and everything would be fine.

* * *

"God damn it!" Beca growled as the pencil snapped. Her hand had been broken in various places and she'd been wearing the cast for a month now. It was nothing but a nuisance and she had already lost at least 5 pencils in it as she tried to scratch.

Chloe walked into the room after hearing Beca's growl and looked down at her girlfriend with her hands on her hips. "Beca Mitchell," she said sternly, "What did I tell you about shoving things into your cast?"

"Umm. Not to?"

"Mmhmm." Chloe held out a hand and tapped her foot as she waited for a reluctant Beca to hand over the half of the pencil that wasn't lost. Chloe sighed as she looked at it. "We're going to need to buy Tyler more pencils again."

Beca smiled sheepishly. "It's itchy."

Chloe melted at Beca's childish pout and sank down onto the bed next to her. She clutched Beca's broken hand in both of her own. "I know baby but you're just making it worse. You're getting it off soon."

Beca sighed and dropped her head onto Chloe's shoulder. "Can you take it off for me now?"

Chloe frowned at the woman, trying to understand why she was so upset. "Oh. You miss mixing, don't you?"

Beca hadn't been able to make any music for the past month and it was driving her silently crazy. If it hadn't been for Chloe, Beca would have lost it after the first day. "Yes," Beca admitted.

Chloe raised the hand to her lips and lightly kissed the fingertips sticking out. "Just a little bit longer babe."

"This is why I could never be a boxer."

Chloe laughed lightly, eyeing her girlfriend's tiny stature. "I'm sure that's the only reason."

Beca lifted her head and showed Chloe her hurt expression. "Was that a short joke?"

Chloe giggled again before pecking Beca on the lips to distract her. "I love you Miss Mitchell."

"I love you too Miss Beale," Beca responded instantly. Chloe moved to pull away but Beca held her in place, reconnecting their lips. "Mmm," she moaned into her redhead's mouth, "Strawberry?"

"Raspberry," Chloe replied, moving to lie back on the bed and pulling Beca with her.

"New?" Beca asked as she straddled her girlfriend and gripped Chloe's face with her hands, even though one was in plaster.

"Yes," Chloe answered as her hands found Beca's shirt hem and slowly lifted it to stroke warm skin.

"Tastes good," Beca commented before licking Chloe's bottom lip seductively.

Chloe's eyelids fluttered as she looked up at her girlfriend's very telling smirk. This was a daily expression that the redhead couldn't get enough of. It was a look of pure want and desire and she could never deny her. "We can't baby. Aubrey and Tyler will be here soon," Chloe said. She was back at work now that Tom was behind bars but Aubrey and Beca were both very strict about her not overdoing it so she had cut back on her tutoring and her extracurricular activities. Chloe would usually be finished in time to collect Beca from work so the pair could have a few hours alone before Aubrey dropped Tyler off after his tutoring.

Beca glanced at her watch. "We have time if we're quick."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Like either of us know how to be quick."

Beca smirked and leaned down, sucking Chloe lips and parting them so she could plunge her tongue into the redhead's mouth. Beca swirled her tongue, melting Chloe's brain and making her forget that fact that Tyler and Aubrey would be there soon. Beca let go of Chloe's face, planning on ridding the woman of her shirt but groaning in pain instead.

Chloe's eyes popped open, worry filling them. "Babe? What happened?" Chloe questioned when she saw Beca's face scrunched up.

Beca moved her cast slightly, accidentally yanking Chloe's hair where it had been caught.

"Oh," Chloe breathed, trying to see the problem from the corners of her eyes, without moving her head.

"Sorry Chlo," Beca sighed as she used her other hand to try and awkwardly free herself, only creating an even bigger knot. "Chloe I can't do this," Beca whined.

Chloe raised her hands, trying to blindly help Beca undo the tangle, but she only ended up making it worse. The fiery redhead started laughing, starting soft but growing as she realised their predicament. They were stuck until Aubrey arrived to help them. Beca glanced at Chloe's face, thinking her girlfriend had gone crazy, but she soon started laughing herself.

"Chloe this isn't funny," Beca tried to say through her laughter.

"Yes it is! Poor Tyler," Chloe forced out, "We are traumatising him."

Beca laughed harder as she realised Tyler would soon be walking in on her straddling Chloe's lap. "At least we aren't naked this time."

"Small victories," Chloe agreed.

Their laughter had almost died out when they heard the front door open and they started laughing harder.

Aubrey and Tyler followed the noise into the open bedroom.

"Chloe!" Aubrey screeched when she saw the women on the bed. She quickly grabbed Tyler's shoulder and covered his eyes with her hand. "Seriously? You don't even close the door? What is wrong with you two?"

Beca and Chloe were laughing to hard to reply, until Beca tried to turn to look at Aubrey and Tyler and yanked Chloe's head to the side.

"Ow!" Chloe yelped as she felt a few strands of her break.

"Opps. Sorry babe," Beca apologised immediately, turning back carefully so as to not jostle the redhead again.

Aubrey dropped the hand covering Tyler's eyes and walked towards the pair, leaning down to look at the mess they had made. "Really?" she sighed, exasperated. She slowly began to work on untangling the pair as they did their best not to laugh or move. "There. You are free."

Beca lifted her hand and smirked down at her girlfriend. She was about to lean back down when a very pointed clearing of Aubrey's throat reminded her they weren't alone. Beca groaned but moved off of her girlfriend's lap and stood from the bed. "Thanks Posen," Beca said as she pointed at her cast.

Aubrey rolled her eyes. "Well maybe you two should be more careful."

Chloe smiled and moved off of the bed as well. "Accidents happen. How was tutoring Ty?"

Tyler shrugged. "Not as good as with you but I think I'm still getting better."

Aubrey glared at the boy for a second, offended because she was his new tutor, but Beca and Chloe just grinned and led the group out of the bedroom.

"Do you have much homework?" Chloe asked, still very much the teacher dedicated to making sure Tyler did his best.

"Yeah but there's something I want to show you." Tyler dropped his bag on the floor and quickly opened it, pulling out his latest test and handing it over to Chloe. Chloe beamed as she looked at the 'A' and pulled the boy into a tight hug.

"I'm so proud of you," Chloe gushed, squeezing him tightly.

Tyler beamed back.

After releasing Tyler Chloe immediately stuck the test onto the fridge, covering a photo of Beca and herself, much to Beca's disappointment.

"You do like him better," Beca whined.

The music teacher glanced at Tyler and the pair rolled their eyes. Tyler headed towards the table to get started on his homework and Aubrey followed, giving the redhead time to fix Beca's ego.

Chloe turned back to the fridge and shuffled around the various pinned memories so that there was room for the picture she had covered. Beca was still pouting miserably when she turned back around.

"You big baby!" Chloe gasped when she saw the woman's face.

"Mean."

Chloe sighed and wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "Baby you know that I love you."

"You love him more."

"I love him differently. You are my girlfriend, my lover," Chloe winked. "And he is your little baby brother who I love as a brother. Two very different things. Now grow up." She slapped Beca's butt lightly as she released the smaller woman.

Beca gasped and could only watch, open-mouthed, as the other woman swayed her way over to the table. Beca couldn't help her grin as dirty thoughts washed into her mind and she focused on the redhead's behind. Chloe knew the effect she had on the brunette.

"So what are your plans for tonight?" Aubrey asked when Beca finally left the kitchen and joined them at the table.

"Jesse is taking the punk to the movies and we are have an R-rated evening," Beca smirked, causing Aubrey to gag.

"What movie?" Aubrey tried to ask slyly.

Chloe grinned and glanced at Beca. She'd been trying to convince her girlfriend to help her set the pair up but Beca had been reluctant, not willing to subject her best friend to the monster that is Aubrey Posen.

"We'll pick when we get there," Tyler answered without looking up from his homework. He had grown accustomed to the constant conversation in this previously quiet apartment after Chloe had moved in. He actually loved the noise.

"Sounds fun."

"Well Jesse will be here soon if you want to wait and ask to go with them?" Chloe suggested.

Tyler glanced at his music teacher with a slightly horrified expression. Jesse was his best friend, other than Chloe, and he really didn't want his principal coming with them. He could deal with it when she always came over to visit but small bursts of scary Miss Posen were always better.

"You don't think he'd mind?" Aubrey asked, not noticing Tyler's face.

"Of course not," Chloe beamed.

Tyler groaned and dropped his head back to his homework.

* * *

Tyler had finished his homework and had just finished getting changed when Jesse arrived.

"Hey, hey," he greeted as he walked through the door.

Chloe and Aubrey waved from the table, where they were having a 'girl' talk that Beca wasn't invited to.

"Hey man," Beca replied from the couch as Jesse slumped down next to her. "I really appreciate you hanging with Tyler tonight."

"Yeah no worries," Jesse shrugged. "We should make it a regular thing so you two can enjoy your date nights."

"Sure."

Jesse took note of the way Beca was flicking through channels and picking at her nails. "You seem nervous."

"What? No."

"Have you got something special planned tonight or something?" he asked.

Beca shrugged, refusing to look at her friend.

Jesse glanced at Chloe, making sure she was still busy, before leaning closer to Beca and whispering. "You're proposing, aren't you?"

Beca's eyes bugged. "Dude! Shut up!"

Jesse grinned. "That's so cool! I was wondering how long it would take you."

"You don't think it's too soon?" Beca knew that asking that question would mean admitting her plans but she actually wanted someone else's opinion on this. Other than Tyler of course, he had been begging for nieces and nephews ever since Chloe moved in.

"No way. You two have practically been together for, what, six months?"

"Five."

"That's more than some marriages."

"Was that meant to be encouraging?"

Jesse rolled his eyes. "Beca. What are you worried about? You two are perfect, you'll be fine. Have a long engagement if you're worried but it's time to make this serious and lock her down. OK?"

Beca gulped and looked over her shoulder to see Chloe talking animatedly about whatever random topic had popped into that pretty head. "Yeah. I'm gonna lock that down."

"Nice," Jesse cheered, punching Beca's shoulder lightly. "Well I'll grab Ty and give you guys time to get ready. Is he in his room?"

"Yeah. Oh! Chlo wanted me to ask if Posen could go with you."

Jesse beamed. "Does she want to?"

"No. I'm asking because she doesn't," Beca said sarcastically.

"Hey Aubrey," Jesse called.

"Yes?" Aubrey replied primly.

"You should definitely come to the movies with us. I'll even let you pick," Jesse offered.

Tyler groaned as he walked into the room, hearing what Jesse had said.

"I'd love to," Aubrey returned happily, causing Chloe to squeal, not very subtly.

"Ty, come here for a sec," Beca called when she saw the boy's pout.

"What?" he asked as he stood in front of the couch.

Beca leaned forward to whisper into his ear. "You need to take the blonde and stop her from messing things up. I'm gonna propose to Chloe tonight."

"Really?" Tyler scream was loud enough for the entire building to hear and Chloe and Aubrey looked at the pair in surprise.

Beca held a finger up to her lips. "It's a secret kid."

Tyler nodded his head, a large smile on his face. "OK. We should get going," he said, loud enough for everyone to hear him. Moments later Beca and Chloe were once again alone in the apartment.

Chloe wrapped her arms around Beca's neck as Beca wrapped hers around Chloe's hips.

"What did you say to Tyler?" Chloe asked curiously.

"Not much. I just told him to have fun," Beca lied.

Chloe squinted at the brunette, reading her easily. "Liar."

Beca grinned and leaned up to kiss her girlfriend's jaw. "You got me. But it's a surprise so I can't tell you."

"OK," Chloe accepted. "So what do you say about ordering in and getting started on this R-rated evening?" Chloe purred.

Beca clenched her legs together, immediately wanting to forget all other plans in order to give in to whatever images were playing through the redhead's mind. She took a deep breath. "Actually I want to take you out. On a date."

Chloe beamed. "Really?"

"Yep."

"What do I wear?"

Beca chuckled that Chloe's first instinct after being told about a surprise date was about the correct attire. "You're gorgeous in anything."

Chloe rolled her eyes. "Thanks for the cliché answer. Seriously is this a dress formal thing or a jeans casual?"

"Hmm. In the middle," Beca said mysteriously.

Chloe huffed. "If I wear heels will I be wanting to kill you by the end of the night?"

Beca glanced down between their bodies and Chloe's tanned legs. They were stunning in heels. "Heels work."

"OK. I can make this work. Time limit?"

Beca tore her eyes away Chloe's legs to look at the time. "An hour."

Chloe's eyes widened and she rushed to the bedroom without another word, slamming the door behind herself.

"That's fine Chloe!" Beca yelled. "I'll just get ready in the kitchen!" Beca groaned and flopped back onto the couch. Living with a woman was difficult.

* * *

Beca had snuck into the room to change while Chloe had been showering and exactly an hour later Chloe emerged, dressed in a stunning red summer dress with matching short heels. Beca once again considered dropping their plans just to stay in with this magnificent creature.

"You look beautiful," Chloe complimented as she pressed a kiss onto Beca's cheek, quickly rubbing it to remove her lipstick.

Beca was wearing a pair of skintight high-waisted pants that hugged her legs in all the right places with a navy button-up that had a generous amount of cleavage on display.

"Take that and multiply it by a hundred and then we're in your ballpark," Beca grinned as her eyes devoured the redhead.

Chloe beamed at the compliment and joined their hands. Beca really needed to buy that replacement car. "Ready to go?"

"This way malady," Beca joked, sweeping her arm towards the door. She was rewarded with Chloe's musical laugh as they set out for their date.

* * *

"Wow!" Chloe gushed after dinner. "How have I never heard of that place?"

Beca had taken her to a diner where the wait stuff entertained with songs and Chloe had loved every second of it. It was romantic and musical and completely cliché. Chloe began to head towards their parked car but Beca veered in in the opposite direction, heading across the road and into the park.

"I thought we weren't walking anywhere?" Chloe questioned, glancing down at her shoes for a worried moment.

Beca smirked and glanced at the redhead. "I love your legs in heels."

Chloe gasped. "Beca Mitchell! You lied to your girlfriend and tricked her into wearing something that would cause her pain for your own pleasure?" Chloe's voice was light and teasing.

Beca grinned. "Sure did."

Chloe huffed and pretended to be upset before a nearby busker distracted her. Chloe swung their joined hands and swayed to the beat as they walked.

Beca loved music. It had been her first and only love until Chloe. Her mother had taught her about the way the right song can change emotions and feelings and if you look closely you can see the way music appears in every second of the day. Chloe was the personification of that. Her bright eyes, hair and smile played a sickly sweet pop song that would have been annoying if it wasn't so earnest. Each step was to a beat that only Chloe could hear and each emotional movement seemed to come with an orchestral backing. Chloe had breathed life back into the Mitchell family and Beca knew they had done the same for her. Chloe had always appeared confident but now all of her smiles were real and she was able to admit to feeling other than joy. A real person had filled in Chloe's shell and Beca only loved her more and more as that person revealed themselves.

* * *

Chloe literally jumped with joy when Beca led her from the park and guided her towards an adorable mini-golf course. She faced Beca, her face filled with excitement. "Mini golf?"

Beca laughed. "I just knew you were one of those types of people."

Chloe scoffed. "Why can't you just be nice? Like 'yeah baby, I love you and hate movies so I thought this would be fun', instead of being mean to me."

"Sorry baby, I love you and hate movies so I thought this would be fun," Beca mocked.

Chloe tried to keep her face angry but her eagerness won out and she was soon dragging Beca onto the course.

* * *

Beca and Chloe were evenly matched, even with Beca playing with her injured hand, and their trash-talk was getting a little bit out of hand as they reached the final hole.

"Do you want to admit defeat now or after I get this hole in one?" Beca taunted as she set up her red ball.

"Hole in one? Can you even see over the obstacle?" Chloe teased.

Beca glared at her girlfriend. She couldn't see over it but she refused to admit that. "I could do this with my eyes closed."

"That's what you said last night and that didn't work out for you either."

Beca gasped and dropped her putter. She glanced around at the other families that had chosen Friday night for a friendly game to make sure no one could overhear them. "You were more than satisfied!"

"Was I?"

Beca opened her mouth but shut it again, thinking it over. Beca had gotten cocky, saying that not only could she easily get Chloe off one-handed, with her weak hand, but also she could do it with her eyes closed. Beca scanned Chloe's smirking face and knew this was her moment. Right here, in public, joking about faking orgasms was exactly where she wanted to convince Chloe to spend the rest of their lives together. Beca closed the distance quickly and dropped to her knee, loving the way Chloe's smirked dropped immediately. Beca pulled a small ring out of her pocket. It was an antique she'd found in a pawnshop that she'd spent the money she'd been saving for the car on. It was small and nothing like what Chloe deserved, which reminded her of herself. Beca held it up, her confidence building when Chloe beamed and her eyes watered. A crowd quickly surrounded them when people had seen what was happening.

"Chloe Beale. I love you. It's as easy and as complicated as that. You drive me crazy in every single way and I refuse to live a day without you. Every single day of the year, for the rest of my life, needs to have you in it. And I promise to make sure you feel loved for as long as I live. Sometimes I may do stupid things, or get mad for no reason but my love for you will never waiver. 365 days Chloe."

Beca looked at Chloe expectantly and felt her nerves return with a vengeance when Chloe didn't say anything. She was still grinning like the Cheshire cat though.

"Chloe?" Beca pushed.

Chloe giggled. "You didn't ask me anything."

"Seriously Beale?" Beca huffed, causing the crowd to laugh as well. "I went to all that effort with the super cheesy speech and-"

"Just ask me the question."

Beca rolled her eyes as she stood, grabbing Chloe's hands to hold in her own and being careful not to drop the ring in the process. "Will you marry me Chloe?"

Chloe tilted her head, acting like she was considering it. "Hmm."

"Chloe!" Beca growled.

Chloe laughed, her smile massive. "Of course I'll marry you, you weirdo."

Beca shook her head; this woman just couldn't make things easy. She sighed to herself a moment later and slid the ring onto Chloe's finger. It was a perfect fit. Chloe looked at the ring with a thousand watt smile that made Beca's heart melt. After what felt like a lifetime, which they would have to share together now, she wrapped her arms around the shorter woman and pulled her in for the most passionate and loving kiss of her life. OK. So maybe some things were as easy as can be.

* * *

 **A/N: Let me know what you thought :) Peace.**


	12. The Wedding

**A/N: And this is it :) Also, massive happy birthday to the lady Kendrick today.**

 **Thanks to everyonelovesagoodBhloe for the beta.**

 **Disclaimer: I don't own Pitch Perfect or Man and Wife.**

* * *

2 years later…

Beca sucked in a breath of air. All around her people moved, rushing to decorate, primp, or plan, but Beca couldn't see any of it. She couldn't see the white, wooden lawn chairs in straight rows lining the aisle of white petals. She couldn't see the white arc, threaded with deep green vines, on the white, wooden platform. She couldn't see the river, slowly running as it created a melodious background for the romantic atmosphere. She couldn't see the nearby tent that was bursting with early guests, members of the wedding party and caterers that were preparing for the reception. No, all Beca could see was every single moment that had led her here, standing in a white dress, letting her loved ones buzz around her. In mere hours Beca would be able to call Chloe her wife.

It had been two years full of waiting. They had been waiting for a court date, then they had been waiting for the jury, then they had been waiting for sentencing. A maximum sentence and two appeals later and Chloe had finally agreed to set the date now that Tom would never be a problem for them again.

"Beca?" A voice sounded behind her, breaking her from her reverie.

She turned towards the voice, smiling as she saw her best friend clad in a three-piece black suit. His red tie matched his pocket square, making him look rather mature and handsome compared to the goofy kid he normally was.

"You look stunning," Jesse complimented with an easy smile.

Beca smoothed her hands down her dress. She hadn't wanted to wear the typical white dress but the bossy maid of honour had given her no option. She would never tell the blonde how grateful she was after she had looked in the mirror that morning. The satin was light and soft to touch as it flowed to Beca's knees. The length was comfortable and made her legs look twice as long as they usually did. The downside was that Aubrey had decided to also force her to wear white satin heels. There was a bateau neckline that softened Beca's features while also emphasising her chest. Lace covered the bodice, ending at a faintly jewelled belt at her waist and falling into the A-line cut. Beca was a beautiful bride, her serene smile adding to the peaceful look that had washed over her usual scowl. She'd even agreed on light make-up, no eyeliner, for the day, but had snuck the 'ear monstrosities' back on after Aubrey had given the look her approval. Her hair was pulled into an Audrey Hepburn bun that highlighted her vintage looks.

"Thanks. You look pretty dapper yourself," Beca returned.

"Why thank you." Jesse stuck his thumbs into his coat pocket and did a spin.

"Where's Ty? Is he ready?" Beca questioned. Tyler was growing into the type of man her parents would be proud of. He'd continued his pursuit of music and had been accepted into Westminster for middle school after graduating from Barden. He was a caring teenager with a close group of friends. He wanted to be a music teacher for disadvantaged children so that every child knew someone cared for them, just like Chloe had done.

"Yeah he's around," the best man said mysteriously. Tyler had been planning a surprise for his favourite people and Jesse refused to be the person to ruin it.

Beca eyed the boy for a second as she could tell there was something he was hiding but decided not to push it. "Alright. Have you seen Chloe yet?"

Jesse grinned at the look that washed over Beca's face as she mentioned the redhead's name. "No I haven't but I'm sure she looks beautiful."

Beca took another deep breath and looked around at her surroundings. "This is pretty perfect isn't it?"

"Yeah," Jesse easily agreed. "It's totally out of some cliché movie. Aubrey did a great job, didn't she?"

Beca rolled her eyes. The couple hadn't had any solid ideas on what they wanted for a wedding, something Aubrey had found offensive, and so the blonde had taken control, without permission. But credit where it was due, she'd done a good job. "Yeah I guess your girlfriend's talent for being an overbearing, perfectionist, control freak finally came in handy."

"Hey!" Jesse yelled, defending his girlfriend. They'd been dating since that night that they went to the movies together. Tyler had grown to accept it after Aubrey had proven her skill during a game of paintball, which would forever remain in everyone's minds as an unusual mix of terrifying and exhilarating. No one had died and Aubrey had been cleared of assault charges. As had Chloe.

Before Jesse could launch into his usual 'my girlfriend is amazing' rant his phone rang. "Hello?" he answered. "Oh," his face dropped into a frown and he bit his lip as he listened to the voice on the other end of the line.

Beca tuned him out, turning back to look at the river and the few trees that swayed lightly in the breeze. She was so completely drawn into her romantic daydream that Jesse tapping on her shoulder caused her to jump. Her good mood vanished instantly when she saw the panic on his face. Maybe she should have listened to the phone call. "What?"

Jesse scratched his neck, considering the best way to break this to his best friend. "That was Aubrey."

"And?" Beca pushed, not wanting to freak out on her wedding day.

"Well you see…"

"Out with it Jesse!"

"Chloe isn't actually here, perse."

Beca's eyes bugged. "Where is she?"

"That's the thing, no one knows. She was here but now she's not."

Beca rushed past him, heading straight for the tent where she'd gotten ready in search of her phone.

* * *

Beep. Beep. Beep.

Buzz.

"Alright, go through," a gruff voice said.

"Thank you," Chloe replied, always polite.

The prison guard raised a brow at her but pointed the way to the visitor's room. Chloe ignored the glances she received along the way, people confused by the woman visiting a prison in a wedding dress, as she took a seat on the visitor's side of the plexiglass. She tapped her French-tipped manicured nails on the steel bench as she waited impatiently, gasping when she looked up and her eyes met Tom's. Jail had been hard for him, if his bruised face was any indication. Chloe wanted to feel sympathy for the man she once loved but she could only muster pity.

"Chloe?" He questioned as they lifted the phones to speak to each other.

"Hi Tom."

Tom's eyes scanned Chloe's face and what was visible of her dress. "You're getting married."

"Yes."

"Today?"

"Yes."

"Then why are you here?" His voice wasn't angry, as it had been throughout the trial and appeals, now he just sounded tired.

"I'm not sure. Closure? I was standing in a mirror, ready to marry the love of my life but..." Chloe sighed, unsure of how to describe what she was thinking and feeling. "Beca would have married me years ago but I made her wait. I thought if you were behind bars then it would be over and I could put you behind me and give all of myself to her, but I can't."

Tom seemed to brighten so Chloe quickly powered on, not wanting, for even a second, to give him any indication that she had anything but disgust for the man.

"And not because I don't love her, because I do. No matter where you are in life you will always have a part of me, I can't help that, and it's a part that I will never be able to give to Beca. It's the part of me that can see evil in people. It's a deep and dark part that is full of anger and hatred. That's what you've done to me Tom. You created something within me that changed who I was as a person. But Beca… Beca is filling that hole with love and adoration. So no, I can't give Beca every piece of me because she has taught me how to get rid of the part that you created. I wanted-needed-to come here today and tell you that you did break me, you did ruin me, even though it took me a while to realise it because Beca started fixing me the day we met. You deserve to be here Tom, and I deserve to be happy today."

Tom nodded, the action surprising Chloe. "You do deserve to be happy. Leave that piece with me and go marry her."

Chloe looked into the eyes of the man she has both loved and feared. "You're not going to see me again Tom."

"I know."

Chloe stood about to hang up the phone when Tom spoke one last time.

"You make an exquisite bride Chloe."

Chloe nodded and put the phone down, leaving without looking backwards, each step taking her closer and closer towards a beautiful future.

* * *

Beca paced through her small dressing room and pressed redial yet again. "Answer, answer, answer, answer, answer," Beca chanted as the phone continued to ring out. The call was one ring away from another voicemail message when Chloe finally answered.

"Beca? This is bad luck." Chloe sounded breathless and distracted.

"Chloe!" Beca yelled much too loudly when she heard the other woman's voice. "Where the hell are you?"

"Oh. Have people noticed?" Chloe said sheepishly.

Beca sucked in a deep breath, trying not to scream at the woman. "Yes Chloe. People have noticed that you aren't at your goddamn wedding. Where the fuck are you?"

"Not far."

Beca heard a car horn sound. "Are you driving somewhere?"

"Maybe."

Beca groaned. "Chloe now is not the time to be coy. I really shouldn't need to be worrying about a runaway bride today."

"Who let you watch that movie?"

"Chloe!"

"Sorry! I'll explain later, I promise. There was just something I needed to do before I walked down that aisle. I'm pulling up now so don't worry. I love you," Chloe rushed out, her voice sounding slightly muffled as she moved out of the car.

Beca sighed, trying to release her frustration. She loved Chloe, even though the redhead could drive her completely insane and seemed to live life to a completely different beat than sane people. Seriously, who the hell leaves a few hours before they're supposing to be walking down the aisle at their own wedding just to run an errand? Chloe, that's who. "I know that you love me Chloe but no one could find you so you can't really blame me for worrying."

"No but I can blame you if we are cursed forever because you rang me. I'll see you at the altar in a few minutes. Bye!"

Beca could only stare at her phone in shock as Chloe hung up on her. Jesse must have heard the conversation because he was soon walking into the room. "Did you find her?"

"The nutcase had an errand or something," Beca muttered through her clenched teeth, still glaring at her phone.

Jesse chuckled. "She's gonna keep you on your toes for sure."

"How hard is it to just stay in a dressing room for a few hours?" Beca wondered.

"Not sure. You couldn't do it. You bailed outside after about five minutes."

Beca rolled her eyes.

"It's time," Aubrey stated as she popped her head into the room.

"Aubrey!" Beca yelled to stop the blonde from leaving. "Did Chloe tell you where she was?"

Aubrey shook her head and sighed, obviously just as frustrated with her friend. "I didn't give her the chance. I don't want to risk strangling her after I've wasted so much time on this wedding. Anyway, she is back and it's time to go so…" Aubrey waved her hand, indicating that Beca needed to get a move on.

"Alright. Oh and Aubrey?"

"What?"

"This… this is the more than I could have ever imagined. I'm grateful for everything that you've done to get us here," Beca said sincerely.

"Well next time I know to handcuff Chloe to a chair but thanks."

Beca chuckled and followed Aubrey and Jesse from the room and towards her future as they neared the entrance for her bridal march. Benji, CR, Stacie and Fat Amy were already there waiting for them. CR and Benji matched Jesse with their three-piece black suits and red detail. Stacie, Fat Amy and Aubrey all wore the same sleeveless, red, cocktail dresses with black belts that matched the suits. Beca was walking down the aisle before Chloe so they wouldn't see each other until the redhead began her approach to the altar.

"Where's the music?" Beca questioned as they waited. They'd agreed that a CD would be the easiest option against Aubrey's suggestion of a live orchestra.

Aubrey smirked and tapped her nose. She turned and waved at a suited teenager that Beca recognised but couldn't place. Soon a soft sound filled the outdoor setting and Stacie and CR began to lead the wedding party to the start of the rose-covered aisle. Fat Amy and Benji went second, followed by Aubrey and Jesse and then Beca by herself. As they turned the corner the setting from earlier came into view. The empty chairs were now filled with guests, a suited minister stood under the arc and, most importantly and surprisingly, all of Chloe's Angels stood in lines at the front of the area. They were harmonising and working together to create an acapella version of the song Chloe had chosen for the day. Leading the song was Tyler, dressed the same as Jesse, holding a microphone and grinning at his sister. Beca felt her eyes water and sniffled as she tried to keep her composure.

All the things you are to me

Darling you have set me free

I'll always give you what you need

and what you deserve

All the joy and all this love

I know that it is from above

and now together there is enough

to fill this world

Beca took her time walking down the aisle; letting the memories of the last few years wash over her as she walked. Two and a half years ago she was going nowhere in life and was taking her brother down with her until one day a man suggested a school with a music teacher that cared.

Cause you are the love of my life

you are the love of my life

you are the love of my life

Beca remembered family movie nights where her mother insisted on watching The Little Mermaid at least once a month. She hoped that her mother was looking down at her now, watching her commit herself to a blue-eyed redhead. Who could have thought that her mother's speeches about how they were the kindest, most beautiful of people, would turn into Beca's future happiness?

All the things that you will do

Yet now I'm standing next to you

Darling I will see you through

the rest of our lives

With you beside me I have won

I'm glad I've waited for so long

there is no doubt that you are the one

for me

Beca finally reached the end of the aisle, standing beside the minister with Jesse on her other side, Fat Amy beside him and then CR. Aubrey stood across from Jesse with Benji next to her and Stacie next to him. They all turned and watched as Chloe finally made her appearance.

Cause you are the love of my life

You are the love of my life

Chloe was wearing a stunning sleeveless sheath ruffled dress that reached down to the grass. The material gathered at her waist and hips, emphasizing her sculptured curves and drawing attention to the flawless sway of her hips. Her red hair was gathered to one side and the curls flowed loosely down her neck. The small red bouquet in her hands matched her hair, the colour making her eyes pop.

There'll be times

There'll be things

Everything is going to be fine

Now you're in my life

Beca could barely breathe as Chloe walked towards her, their eyes boring into each other's with an intensity that blocked out the rest of the world. Time seemed to slow as they just took in each other's flawless beauty, both stunned by the fact that they had found both each other and an eternal love.

So I give you heart and soul

It's yours to take wherever you go

Through the years you'll always know it's yours to keep

God has blessed this sacred vow

Angels line above and look down

See the two of us, we found the perfect love

Chloe reached the altar and quickly joined her hands with Beca's, refusing to drop the eye contact. Tyler stopped singing but the rest of the Angels kept the song going softly in the background.

"Sorry," Chloe whispered, although her bright smile was more teasing than apologetic.

"Only you Beale."

"You mad?"

"I can't remember. You're so flawless that I can't remember much else."

"Naw!" Chloe squeaked, leaning forward and kissing the other woman.

The minister cleared his throat, forcing the two women to pull back sheepishly.

"Whoops," Chloe grinned. "Wedding. I forgot."

Beca squeezed the hand in hers and shook her head affectionately.

"Dear friends and family, we are gathered here today to witness and celebrate the union of Rebecca Mitchell and Chloe Beale in marriage. Through their time together, they have come to realize that their personal dreams, hopes, and goals are more attainable and more meaningful through the combined effort and mutual support provided in love, commitment, and family; and so they have decided to come together as wife and wife," the minister spoke in a loud and strong voice. "Beca, your vows."

Beca tugged on Chloe's arm to get her to look at her again. "I have been searching for you my entire life. I lived a life without commitment and enduring relationships until you came into my life. You were full of compassion and a desire to selflessly help others. You gave me a love I never knew was possible and have never strayed from your belief that I am a person worthy of love. You turned me into a person who can stand here, beside the most soulfully beautiful person in the world, and feel confident that I'm enough for you. 365 days a year, every year, for the rest of my life I will love you."

Tears were running freely down Chloe's cheeks as she once again leaned forward to kiss her soon-to-be-wife. The minister again cleared his throat.

"And Chloe, your vows."

"I was a broken person hiding behind a fake smile that only you could see through. You pushed through the secrets and lies and found me. You saved me and gave me life. My smile is real, my joy is real, and my love is real, only because you showed me that it was OK to live again. Your love has filled the emptiness and the anger that had found its way into my heart and now all I can feel is you, bursting at the seams. I love the way that you love every part of me. I know that I can be myself, in every single way, and you won't ever stop loving me, even when I drive you completely crazy by doing things like disappearing before my wedding. I can be me because I know you will never stop loving me and I will never stop loving you. 365 days a year, every year, for the rest of my life I will love you."

"The rings?" The minister prompted.

Tyler quickly rushed forward to place rings in Chloe and Beca's hands.

"I Beca Mitchell, promise you, Chloe Beale, from this day forward, to be faithful and honest in every way, to honor the faith and trust you place in me, to love and respect you in your successes and in your failures, to make you laugh and to be there when you cry, to care for you in sickness and in health, to softly kiss you when you are hurting and to be your constant friend and your love on this journey that we make together. With this ring, I thee wed." Beca slid the ring onto Chloe's finger.

"And Chloe."

"I Chloe Beale, promise you, Beca Mitchell, from this day forward, to be faithful and honest in every way, to honor the faith and trust you place in me, to love and respect you in your successes and in your failures, to make you laugh and to be there when you cry, to care for you in sickness and in health, to softly kiss you when you are hurting and to be your constant friend and your love on this journey that we make together. With this ring, I thee wed." Chloe slid the ring onto Beca's finger.

"And now, by the power vested in me by the state of Florida, I hereby pronounce you wife and wife. You may NOW kiss."

Chloe grinned and quickly pulled her wife into her arms, connecting their lips and dipping Beca backwards slightly. Chloe circled Beca's lips with her tongue, they opened, and soon both tongues were battling to the cheers of the crowd.

Aubrey tapped on Chloe's shoulder to bring her back to the present and the two women broke apart, keeping their hands joined.

"I present, Beca and Chloe Mitchell."

Tyler raised his microphone and started to sing again as his sister and her new wife made their way back down the aisle, ready to embark on a happy, if slightly crazy at times, future together.

You are the love of my life

You are the love of my life

You are the love of my life

Yeah, you are the love of my life

You are the love of my life

You are the love of my life

You are the love of my life

Yeah, you are the love of my life

* * *

 **A/N: Next fic has already been started and will be posting either tomorrow or soon after. Let me know what you thought of this. Peace.**


End file.
